(Sports Network) - Shaun Hill threw for 285 yards with a pair of touchdowns as the San Francisco 49ers surprised the New York Jets, 24-14.

Hill connected on 28-of-39 passes and was picked off once, and Frank Gore rushed for 52 yards on 14 carries and also caught a four-yard touchdown pass before leaving the game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury. San Francisco (5-8) has won two straight and three of its last four games.

"I downplayed it all week," said Hill about playing against and beating Brett Favre. "I just shoved it away in the back of my mind. When I got in the locker room after the game, I was able to kind of take a step back. That was really neat to play against him and for our team to come with the win. That is something I'll be able to tell the kids and grandkids way on down the road."

Bryant Johnson caught six balls for 49 yards and a score, while Isaac Bruce had six grabs for 70 yards for the 49ers, who had their slim division title hopes come to an end after Arizona defeated St. Louis on Sunday to clinch the NFC West.

"It says a lot of our guys," said San Francisco coach Mike Singletary. "It says a lot of our coaches. It says a lot of what we're trying to do and statement that we're trying to make. We just have to go forth with the three games we have left just taking them one at a time and let the chips fall where they may."

"The answers are in the room," said New York coach Eric Mangini. "The answers are within each person, and what we have to do is what we have always done, which is come back and work more effectively and be ready to come out and play our best football."

Favre completed 20-of-31 passes for 137 yards with an interception for the Jets (8-5), losers of their last two. Favre also ran for a TD. New York is now in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC East after New England defeated Seattle and Miami beat Buffalo on Sunday.

"I don't know if we've lost confidence," said Favre. "We've lost two games. Of course it feels like two games that we should've won but there are a lot of reasons why we didn't win the game. I don't sense desperation. We're still in decent shape. If we continue playing the way we're playing we won't be. We lost two games in a row and it's no different talking about the way if we won five in a row. It is what it is. We've got to play better. Our confidence, I don't know how it will be tomorrow. We have a long trip back, but we need to continue to stick together and get back to the way we play."

Thomas Jones rushed for 56 yards and a score and tied the Jets all-time record with 14 total touchdowns this year.

New York's loss, coupled with Tennessee's win over Cleveland earlier on Sunday, gave the Titans a first-round bye.

With San Francisco holding a 14-7 lead after one half of play, the 49ers appeared to have a good drive going midway through the third period, but Shaun Hill's pass intended for Bruce was picked off by David Bowens at the Jets' 31 and returned to San Francisco's 45.

New York capitalized four plays later, when Jones went over right tackle and sprinted for a 17-yard score to tie the contest. San Francisco, however, got a 32-yard effort from Joe Nedney early in the fourth to surge back in front 17-14.

Johnson gave the 49ers some breathing room after hauling in a three-yard TD pass with 6:05 remaining. The hosts need 10 plays to go 51 yards and took 6:35 off the game clock.

After both teams traded punts, the Jets, in desperation mode, had a modest drive going, but Favre's deep pass was picked off by Walt Harris at the 49ers seven- yard-line with 1:52 left.

San Francisco went three-and-out and was forced to punt, but the Jets ran out of time when Favre was sacked to end the game.

San Francisco opened the scoring with 2:16 remaining in the opening quarter. With the 49ers on the Jets seven-yard-line, Shaun Hill's pass to Jason Hill was fumbled and the one, but a hustling Joe Staley fell on it in the end zone for the score.

Favre then capped a nine-play, 61-yard drive when he ran around right end for a two-yard touchdown to tie things at 7-7 with 7:17 left in the second period.

However, the 49ers responded on their ensuing drive, when Gore pulled in a four-yard pass with 46 seconds left in the half to go up 14-7, a margin they would take into the break.

Game Notes

The Jets will host Buffalo on December 14, while San Francisco visits Miami...The 49ers are 9-2 all-time against the Jets...The Jets' Eric Mangini and 49ers' Mike Singletary met each other for the first time as head coaches...The Jets had a four-game road winning streak snapped...Favre dropped to 7-1 all-time against the 49ers in regular-season play.





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