It was over when ...
Frank Gore ran 10 yards on a draw play on third-and-9 with just over two minutes left. Because the Bengals had used all of their timeouts, the first down allowed the 49ers to go into the victory formation and seal the win by kneeling down.
Game balls
Quarterback Shaun Hill and running back Frank Gore complemented each other with excellent games. Hill made the most of his first NFL start by completing 21-of-28 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. Gore ran 29 times for 138 yards as the 49ers held a nearly 12-minute advantage in time of possession.
Key stat
The 49ers converted 60 percent of their third-down attempts (9-of-15) to keep the ball away from the Bengals, never allowing Carson Palmer and his receivers get into a rhythm.
Noteworthy
The Bengals will have their first losing season under coach Marvin Lewis. ... Palmer's 52-yard touchdown pass in the first half was the 100th in his career. Palmer is the fifth fastest in NFL history to reach the 100-touchdown milestone, behind Dan Marino, Kurt Warner, Johnny Unitas and Peyton Manning. ... T.J. Houshmandzadeh set a Bengals club record with his 101st reception of the season, passing the mark set by Carl Pickens who had 100 in 1996. ... When the 49ers took a 10-point lead with 54 seconds left in the third quarter, it was only the second time this season San Francisco held a 10-point lead (Week 12 at Arizona).
