EAST RUTHERFORD,
N.J. (AP) -- Efficiency overcame emotion Monday night as the San Francisco
49ers beat the Jets 19-17 in New York's first home game since the terrorist
attacks.
After a moving tribute to the rescue
workers at the World Trade Center eight miles from Giants Stadium, the
Jets (1-2) sputtered offensively and were sloppy with their tackling.
Meanwhile, the 49ers (2-1) displayed
the proper way to run a clock-eating offense, rushing for 233 yards behind
rookie Kevin Barlow and veteran Garrison Hearst.
Barlow gained 83 yards on only nine
rushes and Hearst had 95 on 20 attempts against New York's soft defensive
scheme. Both had only 58 yards coming into the game.
When Jeff Garcia needed to hit a
pass, he was on target, finishing 16 for 20 for 141 yards, including a
6-yard TD throw to Terrell Owens.
Jose Cortez kicked four field goals
and the 49ers throttled New York's unimaginative offense in beating the
Jets on the road for the fifth consecutive time.
Before New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani
and Gov. George Pataki, along with New Jersey's acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco,
served as honorary captains, Jets coach Herman Edwards presented the game
ball from last week's victory at New England to Giuliani. Edwards had dedicated
that victory to the city.
The Jets set about getting another
victory with an 88-yard drive that lasted 9:22 and featured a superb over-the-shoulder
34-yard reception by Wayne Chrebet. Curtis Martin dived in from the 2,
but that was about it for the flat Jets.
New York managed an 84-yard drive
in the dying moments, with Martin scoring from the 1 with 50 seconds remaining.
But the Niners recovered the onside kick.
The Niners came right back behind
Barlow, who had 44 yards on four carries, including gains of 15 and 25
on the tying drive. Garcia hit Owens over the middle for the 6-yard score.
Dana Stubblefield blocked John Hall's
50-yard field goal try, and the 49ers staged an eight-minute march to Cortez's
19-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead. It could have been more, but Garcia
was stopped on a rollout at the Jets 1 by Mo Lewis.
Garcia, who hit his first nine passes,
guided the 49ers to Cortez's 49-yard field goal as the half ended.
San Francisco handed back those points
when Eric Johnson fumbled on the second play of the second half at the
49ers 41. Tom Barndt recovered and Hall made a 24-yarder.
So Cortez made a 35-yarder for a
16-10 lead, capping a drive begun when rookie Vinny Sutherland sped 65
yards with the kickoff. And he put through a 29-yarder to cap a 97-yard,
17-play drive that ate up 9:47 and clinched matters.