49ers down the Jets for second straight win

'Niners move to 5-8

The 49ers have experienced first hand now the strangeness of an NFL season—how many twists and turns and ups and downs one 16-game stretch of games can take. With a 24-14 win over the Jets on Sunday, San Francisco has stumbled upon a modest two-game winning streak and more importantly, seem to have found its recipe for success.  When the season started, no one would have predicted these ingredients, namely interim head coach Mike Singletary and backup quarterback Shaun Hill, would be the ones to lead a 49er revival, but here they are in what feels like a second season of sorts. 

Now 5-8 overall and 3-3 under Singletary, one has to wonder why the move wasn't made sooner.  Why did San Francisco management wait until the season was completely lost to make the change to Singletary, who has clearly energized a lethargic team? The same goes for Hill.  Why was J.T. O'Sullivan allowed to throw interception after interception, fumble the ball away and take unnecessary sacks for so many games?  Part of the reason, Mike Nolan, has already been taken care of, but could the season have turned out differently? 

Those questions will go unanswered.  All that matters right now is the 49ers have a slim chance to finish with an 8-8 record.  It might not sound like much, but after existing at the bottom with the likes of Cincinnati, Detroit and St. Louis for several weeks as the dregs of the NFL, it's quite an achievement. To do so, the 49ers will have to sweep their next three against Miami, St. Louis and Washington. A tough task, but conceivable now more than ever.

Against the Jets, Hill went 28-of-39 for 285 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He's 3-2 as a starter and outplayed Brett Favre. After leading the 49ers to victories at the end of last season, Hill wasn't given much of a chance during training camp, which was another curious development.  Hill and Singletary are now joined together because both entered into the fold at about the same time.  Whether Singletary is named the team's permanent head coach or not, Hill deserves the job for next season, although sentiment has grown in favor of the former linebacker sticking around, especially after Sunday’s win.

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Hill isn't your typical Mike Martz quarterback. He doesn't have the strong arm or sling the ball down the field for huge chunks of yardage.  He takes a quick drop, makes his read and the ball is out of his hands.  On Sunday, he spread the ball around to 10 different receivers and found Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson for six catches apiece.  He's also incorporating the team's younger receivers such as Jason Hill (4 receptions, 39 yards) and Dominique Zeigler (2 receptions, 44 yards).

Running back Frank Gore carried the ball only 14 times for 52 yards and exited the game in the third quarter with an ankle sprain.

The 49ers’ defense put together another strong outing, limiting Favre to 137 yards passing and Thomas Jones to 56 yards rushing. The secondary controlled the Jets’ passing attack without cornerback Nate Clements who missed the game with a fractured right thumb.

With playoff contenders Miami next week and Washington to end the year, the 49ers have a chance to factor into the races and have suddenly made themselves into a scary proposition for opposing teams.

By Jim Bucci
ProFootball-fans.com San Francisco 49ers Correspondent