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Niners storm back to extend Eagles' nightmarish start

Oct 2, 2011 - 10:20 PM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Eagles continued their disquieting start when the San Francisco 49ers invaded Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday and scored 21 unanswered points to come away with a 24-23 victory.

The Eagles (1-3), prematurely dubbed the "Dream Team" by backup quarterback Vince Young after an active offseason, led 23-3 early in the third quarter before Frank Gore and the 49ers turned into their worst nightmare.

Gore came on strong down the stretch, first ripping off a 25-yard run to reach Eagles territory, then barreling in for a 12-yard, go-ahead touchdown with three minutes remaining. The TD capped an eight-play, 77-yard drive following Alex Henery's second missed field goal.

"I just got in the zone. I told myself, 'I'm out here, so let's go out there and play,'" Gore said. "Our [offensive line] did a great job."

Michael Vick completed four straight passes for a pair of first downs and later connected with Jeremy Maclin near the left sideline. Maclin made his way past midfield before defensive end Justin Smith caught him from behind and stripped the ball, which stayed in play and was recovered by safety Dashon Goldson at the San Francisco 31-yard line with 2:06 showing.

Gore finished his 127-yard effort with two first-down runs to kill the clock, giving the 49ers (3-1) back-to-back road wins for the first time since 2006.

San Francisco defeated Cincinnati, 13-8, last Sunday, and practiced all week in Youngstown, Ohio to cut down on travel time.

The maneuver appeared to pay off as Alex Smith went 21-of-33 for 291 yards and touchdown passes to Josh Morgan and Vernon Davis.

"That was as good a win as I can remember being a part of," 49ers first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Really proud of our players. They never flinched. There was never a moment or circumstance that made them nervous in this ballgame."

Vick threw for two scores and his 416 passing yards were a career-high, but the Eagles lost for the third straight week despite holding a late lead in each game. In fact, they have been outscored 36-0 in the fourth quarter during the slide.

"We all had high expectations and we still do. Don't get me wrong. It's still a long season and we just have to dig deep. We've got to dig deep," Vick said.

DeSean Jackson totaled 171 yards on six receptions, while LeSean McCoy caught a touchdown but was held to 18 yards on nine carries in defeat.

Henery made three field goals but missed two in the second half, while his predecessor, David Akers, was 1-of-3. Akers spent 12 seasons in Philadelphia before signing with the 49ers in the offseason.

The veteran kicker had a field goal blocked by King Dunlap early in the third, and Henery booted a 33-yarder for a 23-3 cushion just 5 1/2 minutes into the second half.

San Fran countered quickly, as Kendall Hunter took a short pass and turned it into a 44-yard gain prior to Morgan hauling in a 30-yard score.

On the 49ers' next offensive play, Michael Crabtree caught a 38-yard pass to set up Davis' nine-yard TD grab with 2:58 left in the third.

Henery pushed a 39-yard try wide right in the opening minute of the fourth, then did the same on a 33-yard attempt with 6:28 remaining to keep it a one- possession game.

"Our young kicker has got to figure it out too, just like everybody else on our football team. When you have opportunities to score points, you score points," Eagles head coach Andy Reid said. "In all areas we were terrible today."

The 49ers came away empty-handed on their opening possession when Akers missed a 44-yard field goal.

Vick threw an interception on the ensuing drive, but showcased his athleticism after San Francisco failed to move the chains.

After moving the ball to the 49ers' 16-yard line, Vick dropped back in the pocket and avoided linebacker Ahmad Brooks before ducking under defensive tackle Ray McDonald. The escape allowed Clay Harbor to get open in the right corner of the end zone, and Vick found him there for a 7-0 lead.

Akers connected on a 37-yard field goal early in the second, and Henery answered with a 32-yard kick following DeSean Jackson's 45-yard catch.

The Eagles were on the verge of scoring on their next touch, but Ronnie Brown fumbled on 3rd-and-goal from the one. Brown appeared to attempt a pass as he was falling to the ground, but replay upheld the turnover.

The fumble did not prove costly for Philadelphia, and Henery added a 32-yard kick just past the two-minute warning.

On the next play from scrimmage, Smith fumbled, and the Eagles turned it into seven points when McCoy took a shovel pass five yards to paydirt for a 20-3 halftime lead.

Game Notes

Crabtree led the 49ers with five receptions for 68 yards...Maclin totaled 74 yards on seven catches...Vick also added a team-high 75 yards on eight carries. His previous career-high was 337 yards against Detroit on December 22, 2002...The Eagles had three significant injuries, as defensive tackle Antonio Dixon (tricep), defensive end Trent Cole (calf) and offensive tackle Jason Peters (hamstring strain) will all have MRIs on Monday.