12/07 — The 49ers win the coin toss, defer their decision till the second half, and the Jets choose to receive. And the home team opens with some trickery as kicker Joe Nedney tries a high-hopping onsides kick. But Brad Smith is ready for the kick, leaps to snare the ball and holds on despite being upended by Marcus Hudson.

But the Jets can go nowhere with the great field position, Reggie Hodges hits a ball that bounces once into the end zone, and the Niners come away from their opening gambit unscathed. Those seven games of scoring on their first possession are a forgotten memory as they go without a score for the second straight game.

On San Fran's first play, No. 52 flashes as he pushes across the line of scrimmage. David Harris is back after missing 5½ games with a groin injury, starting alongside Eric Barton at ILB. Good to have you back, David.

Darrelle Revis is called for holding on Isaac Bruce on the Niners' second offensive play. It is the first penalty marked off against the second-year CB this season (although a holding call vs. Arizona was declined).

The home team gets a drive going toward the Jets' red zone, but that march is halted when RB Michael Robinson gets "Jenked" — NT Kris Jenkins, getting push against C Eric Heitmann, sticks his hand in and dislodges the ball from Robinson's grasp. Calvin Pace falls on it and the Jets are back in business at their 17.

But the offense is slow-starting today, so the other two phases will have to pick it up. Hodges' high punt is fielded by Arnaz Battle, who's hit immediately by Ahmad Carroll and fumbles. The Niners recover at their 24.

But the Jets suddenly have something else on their mind — James Ihedigbo is still down on the field after the punt coverage. He doesn't move for several long seconds as the medical staff tends to him. All the Jets come off the bench, and about 20 gather in a prayer huddle. In short order, Ihedigbo stands and walks off the field under his own power.

No sooner as Harris returned to action than Eric Barton has come off the field. Something is bothering him and he's being checked out on the sideline by Dr. Ken Montgomery. Cody Spencer is playing alongside Harris in the middle.

San Fran drives again as coordinator Mike Martz and QB Shaun Hill are "filling the air with footballs." The Niners drive to the Jets 7, from where Hill hits WR Jason Hill over the middle. Nickel back Hank Poteat gives Hill a lick near the goal line and he fumbles, but although Spencer briefly touched the ball in the end zone, tackle Joe Staley comes up with the ball. It's a touchdown for the Niners, who lead, 7-0, with 2:16 left in the opening stanza.

Second Quarter

On the last play of the first quarter, Chansi Stuckey makes a nifty grab but is a yard shy of the chains, so the Jets puntt again. Hodges is hanging them high, and Carroll again is Ahmad on the spot, taking Battle down for no gain after he fields the punt.

But the Jets defense shuts down the Niners' next drive. The first big play was Calvin Pace smothering Frank Gore for a 2-yard loss. Then Drew Coleman, active for the first time in four games, shows why he's up for this game. Lined up on Bruce in the slot, he follows the venerable WR in the middle of the field and swats away Hill's throw to force a punt, which bounces backward before it's downed at the Jets 39.

Finally, the Jets' offense thaws. Stuckey, a favorite early target, has the big play, a grab of a Brett Favre pass behind him on an out route. But he snags it and zips past the coverage of Donald Strickland for a 24-yard gain, 18 coming after the catch.

On first-and-goal on the 2, the Jets' heavy package is in, but Favre play-fakes and rolls to his right. TEs Dustin Keller and Chris Baker try to get into the pattern but are held up, so Favre tucks it and rolls in for the touchdown, his first as a Jet. Jay Feely adds the PAT and we're tied at 7 midway through the second quarter.

The 49ers move toward midfield but on third-and-4 the Jets send a six-man blitz at Hill, who can get only 3 yards and 2 feet on a completion to Bruce as he's wrapped up by ompletes to Bruce. But Bruce juggles before he's wrapped up Revis. However, coach Mike Singletary says to go for it, so Hill next hands off to Gore, who gets more than enough on a slant off left tackle.

But a 20-yard strike to TE Vernon Davis is followed by another blitz and the first sack of Hill by David Harris and Mike DeVito. It is Harris' first sack since Game 5 vs. Cincinnati and the first piece of sack of DeVito's pro career. And it takes us to the two-minute warning.

Hill picks up the drive, hitting first-year WR Dominique Zeigler for 13, then Bruce getting free of Drew Coleman this time for 19. Then a Dwight Lowery hold sets up the Niners first-and-goal at the Jets 4. The defense forces two incompletions, but after a timeout, the Niners have the perfect call — a blitz-beating Hill toss to Frank Gore, who goes in untouched with 46 seconds left in the half to give the Niners a 14-7 lead.

The hosts actually kick to Leon Washington, but a Brad Smith hold starts the visitors at their 17. Favre throws three times, the last on a short toss over the middle to Washington, but he can't elude the NIners and the half ends with San Francisco leading, 14-7.