Powell, Petty rally Jets past 49ers 23-17 in overtime

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Monday, December 12, 2016

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Bilal Powell made sure that Bryce Petty's rough start had a positive finish for the New York Jets.

Powell ran for 145 yards, including the game-ending 19-yard touchdown in overtime, to help Petty and the New York Jets rally from 14 points down to beat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 on Sunday.

"It shows the character we have," Powell said. "It's not the season that everyone was expecting but we keep fighting and we have a lot of guys on the team who showed a lot of pride."

Petty threw an interception on his first pass of the game and the Jets (4-9) trailed 14-0 less than five minutes into the game. San Francisco (1-12) led 17-3 at halftime, but fell flat after that and lost a franchise-worst 12th straight game.

Powell took over from there and scored his second TD of the game on New York's first possession of overtime after Petty's scramble and 26-yard pass to Robby Anderson put the Jets in field-goal range.

"First half was probably about as ugly as I could play," Petty said. "I came out a little bit more nervous than I thought I was going to be. ... Hats off to the team for sticking with me."

Petty, who went 23 for 35 for 257 yards in his second career start , rallied the Jets back from a 17-3 deficit in the first half by leading two fourth-quarter scoring drives. New York used a 15-play, 66-yard drive to cut the deficit to 17-14 with 5:04 left when Powell bowled his way in for a 5-yard run and Petty ran in the 2-point conversion .

New York then forced a punt and Petty led the Jets 33 yards to tie the game on Nick Folk's 50-yard field goal with 38 seconds left.

Hyde ran for a career-high 193 yards and caught a TD pass, but Phil Dawson missed two field goals and San Francisco failed to score on its final eight possessions to squander a 14-point lead for the third time this season.

"We have to make plays," quarterback Colin Kaepernick said. "That's what it comes down to. If you don't go out and execute and don't go out and make plays, you won't get it done on offense."

KEY PLAY

The 49ers won the toss in overtime and drove to New York's 37, where they faced a fourth-and-2. Coach Chip Kelly opted to go for it rather than kick a field goal or punt and the Jets stuffed Hyde for no gain for one of the few big plays on run defense after allowing 248 yards rushing for the game.

"(That's) what I'm used to seeing," coach Todd Bowles said. "The first drive, second drive of the game is not what I'm used to seeing. They stepped up and won."

ROUGH START

The game couldn't have started worse for Petty. He telegraphed a short pass to Quincy Enunwa that Jimmie Ward intercepted and returned to the New York 7. Colin Kaepernick found Hyde in the flat for the TD on the next play to give San Francisco the lead. After New York went three-and-out the next possession, San Francisco moved 81 yards on four plays with help from a 47-yard run by Hyde to set up Shaun Draughn's 4-yard run that made it 14-0 just 4:11 into the game.

KAP'S ROLLER COASTER

After getting pulled last week after completing just one pass in three quarters in snowy Chicago , Kaepernick looked much better early back home in better weather conditions. He completed his first seven passes with 95 yards in the first quarter before faltering. He finished 15 for 26 for 133 yards as San Francisco had just 17 yards passing after halftime -- its fewest in 11 years.

"That's on me as a play-caller," Kelly said. "I just really wasn't confident."

INJURIES

Both teams were hit hard by injuries with the scariest coming when Niners receiver Torrey Smith was knocked out with a concussion when his helmet slammed against the turf as he fell on an incomplete pass in the third quarter. Smith was motionless for a bit as players kneeled in concern. He was eventually able to sit up and was carted off the field with a towel draped over his head.

San Francisco also lost center Daniel Kilgore (right leg) and tight end Vance McDonald (shoulder) to injuries.

New York lost running back Matt Forte (knee), tight end Brandon Bostick (ankle), and defensive backs Marcus Gilchrist (knee) and Buster Skrine (head). Forte will have tests done Monday but said he doesn't believe he has ligament damage. Gilchrist will undergo season-ending surgery for a patella tendon tear.

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