Fall behind by double digits. Rally for the tying score in the final seconds of regulation. Complete a 52-yard pass and win in overtime.

Jeff Garcia threw his third touchdown pass of the game to Terrell Owens, a 52-yarder with 6:16 left in overtime Sunday, giving the 49ers a 37-31 victory over the Falcons.

"Whoa!" coach Steve Mariucci said. "We have been around some crazy games before, but that one takes the cake."

Actually, it was just a higher-scoring version of Week 1, when San Francisco (4-1) beat the Falcons 16-13 in overtime.

In that game, the Niners rallied from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit. Jose Cortez kicked a 20-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in regulation to tie it, then booted a 24-yarder on the first drive of the extra period after Tai Streets turned a short completion into a 52-yard gain.

"We are growing every single week," said Garcia, leading the Niners to their best start since 1998 -- the last season they made the playoffs.

The last two years, San Francisco was 10-22.

Garcia was brilliant again, completing 27 of 41 for 332 yards -- just 3 yards fewer than he had in the first game against the Falcons.

Owens didn't have a reception in the first half, but wound up with nine catches for 183 yards.

"I just kept with it," he said. "Once I get my hands on the ball, anything can happen."

Rallying from an early 14-0 hole, San Francisco tied the score at 31 when Garcia hooked up with Owens on a 17-yard TD with 17 seconds left in regulation.

The Falcons (2-3) caught a break in overtime when the Niners drove to Atlanta's 16 on their first possession, only to have Garcia fumble a snap.

Atlanta couldn't take advantage, going three-and-out to give Garcia another chance. He quickly redeemed himself.

On third-and-5 at the San Francisco 48, Owens got Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan to bite on a fake to the inside, broke a tackle along the sideline from Ronnie Bradford and coasted into the end zone for the winning TD.

"I got challenged on the play and didn't make the play," Buchanan said. "It shouldn't boil down to that, but it did, and I'm man enough to live up to it."

Owens, who also caught a 33-yard scoring pass from Garcia late in the third quarter, dunked the ball over the crossbar after scoring.

The final 4:44 of regulation featured two lead changes before Owens scored the tying touchdown.

Kevan Barlow scored on a 4-yard run to put the Niners ahead for the first time, 24-23. The Falcons responded with Chris Chandler's 47-yard touchdown pass to Brian Finneran, with a 2-point conversion stretching Atlanta's lead to 31-24.

Finneran dunked the ball over the crossbar after his first career touchdown, a foreshadowing of Owens' move after the winning TD.

But first, the Niners had to tie it. They did with a 10-play, 72-yard drive. Garcia completed five straight passes and ran twice before an incompletion left San Francisco with second-and-10 at the Atlanta 17.

Owens cut toward the middle on a slant pattern, beating Darrien Gordon and hanging on to the ball after hits by Ashley Ambrose and Bradford. Owens gave the ball a spin to celebrate, saving his best move for last.

Chandler, who went out with a concussion the previous week in a 31-3 loss to Chicago, completed his first six passes to help stake the Falcons to a 14-0 lead.

Bob Christian caught a 5-yard scoring pass. Maurice Smith, starting his second game in place of Jamal Anderson, scored the first rushing touchdown of his career on a 3-yard run before the opening period was over.

Garcia scored on a 7-yard run in the second period, but Jay Feely kicked field goals of 39 and 24 yards to give the Falcons a 20-7 lead at halftime.

Feely's third field goal, from 36 yards with 8:49 remaining, pushed Atlanta to a 23-17 lead, setting up the wild finish.

Game notes