BEEBE LEADS PACK : 49ERS ARE BEATEN BY OVERTIME KICK GREEN BAY 23, SAN FRAN. 20.

Byline: Dave Goldberg Associated Press

With Robert Brooks gone early and Edgar Bennett gone late, the Green Bay Packers turned to Plan B - Don Beebe.

While it was Chris Jacke's 53-yard field goal, the longest overtime kick in NFL history, that gave the Packers a 23-20 victory over San Francisco on Monday night in the most dramatic game of the season, it was Beebe who was the real hero.

The 32-year-old veteran, who spent most of his career with Buffalo, had 11 catches for 220 yards, the third-most yardage in Packers history, including a controversial 59-yard catch from Brett Favre for Green Bay's only touchdown.

That gave him at least a share of the hero's mantle with Jacke, who had four other field goals, including a 31-yarder with eight seconds left in regulation that sent the game into overtime.

Jacke was a reluctant hero when he was sent on to kick from 53 yards.

``A kicker never hopes for those situations,'' Jacke said. ``I'd much rather be kicking for extra points.''

``I hate it,'' he added of kicking with the game on the line. ``There's not a kicker in the league that wants to be in that position.''

Beebe's heroics, meanwhile, came just in time for the Packers (6-1).

Brooks, Favre's favorite target, injured his knee on Green Bay's first offensive play and coach Mike Holmgren said after the game that he will be lost for the season.

It was a game that lived up to its billing - two of the NFL's best teams in one of the league's best settings - as San Francisco (4-2) tried to avenge a 27-17 loss to the Packers in last season's playoffs.

``It was a great game for our team and our fans,'' Holmgren said. ``Truly a great game. To come back against a team like this is something that can lift us up.''

San Francisco's defense, led by Marquez Pope, Lee Woodall and Dana Stubblefield, controlled most of the game. It forced Favre to pass 61 times, a team record, and he completed just 28.

``Our team played a heck of a game,'' 49ers coach George Seifert said. ``But we didn't make the plays and Green Bay did.''

And the defense appeared to have given the 49ers a win when Pope picked off a Favre pass with 2:13 left and the score tied at 17-all and returned it to the Green Bay 12.

But the 49ers played conservatively. Green Bay used two timeouts and the two-minute warning, and there was 1:50 left when Jeff Wilkins kicked a 28-yard field goal that gave the 49ers a 20-17 lead.

But Favre, who passed for 395 yards, led Green Bay 69 yards in 10 plays to Jacke's tying field goal. The drive was helped by 20 yards in penalties against Steve Israel, a reserve defensive back for the 49ers, who was called for a 5-yard hands-to-the-face penalty, then penalized 15 more yards and ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct.

In overtime, the 49ers went three and out, and Green Bay got the ball at its own 44. A 13-yard pass to Beebe moved the ball into scoring position and then Holmgren decided to have Jacke try from 53 yards.

``It was about the only good decision I made all night,'' Holmgren said.

The Packers took a 6-0 lead on field goals of 30 and 25 yards by Jacke. But San Francisco scored on three straight possessions late in the second quarter.

Wilkins' 48-yard field goal cut it to 6-3, then Elvis Grbac found Jerry Rice for touchdowns of 7 and 13 yards in the final 2:20 of the half to give the 49ers a 17-6 lead. The second touchdown was set up by Stubblefield's tip and interception that he returned to the Green Bay 28.

Green Bay got back in the game midway through the third quarter on Favre's 59-yard pass to Beebe, who dived and caught the ball at the San Francisco 30 as Pope flew by him and seemed to touch him.

But the officials ruled Beebe hadn't been touched and he got up and ran the rest of the way to the end zone. Favre hit Bennett, who later injured his shoulder, for the 2-point conversion that cut it to 17-14.

Jacke's 35-yard field goal with 3:35 left in the fourth quarter tied the game at 17.

Jacke's winning kick was 1 yard longer than Mike Cofer's that won an overtime game last season for Indianapolis over the New York Jets.

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3 Photos

Photo: (1,2--color) San Francisco's Tim McDonald, left, and Ken Norton Jr. try to bring down Green Bay tight end Keith Jackson in the first quarter, above. Packers safety LeRoy Butler, right, intercepts a pass from 49ers quarterback Elvis Grbac in front of intended receiver Tommy Vardell.

(3) San Francisco 49ers running back Anthony Lynn is tripped by the Packers' Wayne Simmons in the Monday-night game at Lambeau Field.

Associated Press