The San Francisco 49ers must have thought it was another nightmare, the same one they have had the past eight months.
Only this time it was real. That was Matt Bahr in the flesh trotting out to beat them with another kick in the waning seconds.In a remarkably similar finish to the 1990 NFC championship game, Bahr kicked a 35-yard field goal with 0:05 left Monday night, lifting the New York Giants to a 16-14 victory over the 49ers.
Bahr's 42-yarder as time expired last Jan. 12 gave the Giants a 15-13 victory over the 49ers on their way to winning the Super Bowl.
"This is getting to be a habit around here, but a good one," Bahr said Monday night.
Bahr's third field goal made new Giants Coach Ray Handley a winner in his debut as Bill Parcells' successor.
"Most definitely, it was like the last game," 49ers tackle Steve Wallace said. "It was just like deja vu.
"It's kind of a helpless feeling, it happened all over again. You just hope the ball would go on the ground or something would happen ... but it didn't."
Giants cornerback Mark Collins said there was one difference from last January.
"Last year, there was a lot (more) on the line," he said. "But we wanted to let San Francisco know it wasn't a fluke last year. We said after the first game (a 7-3 loss last December) we were better, and we showed them in the second game."All this does is show them we were right then, too."
Jeff Hostetler, named by Handley as his quarterback over Phil Simms, took the Giants 60 yards in 13 plays to Bahr's winning kick.
The 49ers had an NFL-record 18-game road winning streak - 19 counting postseason - snapped. They also had won their last 16 on artificial turf.
Both of their games against the Giants last season were at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
Trailing 14-13, New York took over at its 22 with 4:40 left. Hostetler opened with passes of 14 and 8 yards to Stephen Baker and Ottis Anderson gained 6 for a first down at the 50.
On third-and-five from the 45, Dave Meggett took a pitch 8 yards around right end for a first down at the 37 with 1:41 left. Hostetler hit Mark Ingram for 11 yards on third-and-10 from the 37 to put the Giants in Bahr's range.
After two Anderson runs, Bahr came on with the Giants at the 18 and 10 seconds left.
Hostelter finished 17 for 31 for 228 yards. Ingram caught six passes for 76 yards and Meggett caught four for 47 yards and added 26 rushing yards on four carries. Ingram and Meggett missed all of preseason until signing new contracts last Thursday.
Steve Young, starting for injured Joe Montana, went 12 of 22 for 162 yards, including a 73-yard TD strike to Jerry Rice. Young ran 5 yards for the 49ers' other TD.
Young took the 49ers 42 yards in seven plays, scoring on a rollout from the 5 for a 14-13 lead with 13:37 left. San Francicsco's defense set up the score on the Giants' previous possession.
Charles Haley chased Hostetler out of the pocket, the quarterback lost the ball and recovered for an 11-yard loss to his 11. Sean Landeta punted just 31 yards on the next play, and the 49ers took over at the New York 42.
Young hit John Taylor and Brent Jones for 13-yard strikes on the drive. On first down at the 5, Young rolled around left end into the end zone. He was aided on the play when guard Guy McIntyre tackled linebacker Lawrence Taylor from behind without drawing a penalty.