Bono Better Second Time Around : NFC: 49er quarterback passes for 347 yards in rematch against Saints as San Francisco wins, 38-24.

The New Orleans Saints picked on Steve Bono in his debut as the San Francisco 49er quarterback a month ago.

But on Sunday, Bono picked New Orleans apart as the 49ers scored 21 points in the final 4:09 for a 38-24 victory over the slipping Saints, who lost their third consecutive game.

The late flurry overshadowed a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Dexter Carter in the second quarter. Carter returned to catch an 11-yard scoring pass with 4:09 remaining to lift the 49ers into a 24-24 tie.

New Orleans’ lead in the NFC West has been cut to a game over Atlanta (8-5), which defeated Green Bay. San Francisco (7-6) went over .500 for the first time this season to keep its playoff hopes alive.

“Towards the end, things kind of deteriorated for the New Orleans Saints,” New Orleans Coach Jim Mora said. “I’m very frustrated and upset that we lost. . . . The season isn’t over yet and we’ll be back.”

Bono, unable to mount a touchdown drive in a 10-3 loss Nov. 3 at New Orleans, passed for three touchdowns, including a 47-yarder to Jerry Rice with 1:36 left as the 49ers regained the lead, 31-24.

It was the first touchdown catch in six games for Rice, who had his 500th career reception with his first catch of the day. He finished with nine receptions for 154 yards.

“Any time you can beat New Orleans, it’s a big win,” Rice said. “It was a desperate game for us. We have a chance to turn things around, but right now we’re not thinking about the playoffs. We just have to keep winning.”

Bono is 3-1 as a starter for the injured Steve Young, with Sunday’s outing standing out as his best. He completed 27 of 41 passes for 347 yards for his second consecutive 300-yard effort and a career high.

“I feel that Steve Bono is getting a sense of our offense and the team is getting a sense of him,” 49er Coach George Seifert said.

Steve Walsh had the Saints on the move in the final seconds, but he fumbled the snap and safety Johnnie Jackson picked it up at midfield, running 49 yards before being tackled by Buford Jordan.

Walsh, who completed 25 of 42 passes for 317 yards, disputed the ruling by referee Jerry Markbreit. He said he was spiking the ball to stop the clock.

“I totally disagreed with that call,” said Walsh, who made no effort to retrieve it before Jackson picked it up. “The ball was slipping, yes, but I made a throwing motion. (The official) was too liberal in his judgment call, but it’s hard to overturn it at that point.”

The fumble was the Saints’ third turnover of the day, and Tom Rathman converted for the 49ers on the next play, diving into the end zone for the clincher with four seconds remaining.

The score survived a review by instant-replay official Dave Kamanski, unlike an apparent game-tying scoring run by Rathman earlier in the fourth-quarter that Kamanski reversed.

The score was tied, 24-24, when the Saints’ Tommy Barnhardt shanked a punt that traveled only 16 yards to the 49ers’ 43. Bono completed a pass to Keith Henderson for 10 yards and then connected on a short turn-in to Rice, who ran it the rest of the way with the help of a devastating block on Reginald Jones by John Taylor.

The 49ers apparently had tied the game midway through the final quarter, but Kamanski ruled a second-down run from the Saints’ two by Rathman had come up a foot short.

The 49ers tried two more runs by Rathman, but he was stopped for no gain each time and the Saints took over on downs.

After a punt, the 49ers started at the Saints’ 45 and Bono guided them down the field in five plays, the last an 11-yard pass to Carter.

The Saints had gone ahead for the first time, 24-17, when Walsh threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Turner. The touchdown was set up three plays earlier when 49er punter Joe Prokop, unable to get the kick off because of a charging Toi Cook, took off running, was hit by James Williams and fumbled. Williams recovered and the Saints took over at the 49ers’ 14.

New Orleans twice tied the score, 7-7 in the second quarter on Walsh’s five-yard touchdown pass to Turner and 17-17 in the third quarter on Fred McAfee’s 12-yard run.

“There is no question we’re frustrated,” Walsh said. “We’re so close to winning these ballgames. If we keep working hard, we’ll win one.”

The 49ers led, 14-10, at halftime on Carter’s kickoff return for a score and Bono’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Taylor. Carter started up the middle, faked his way past Morten Andersen at about his 30 and broke to the left sideline.

“I saw that it was open and I just had to get past the kicker to score,” Carter said.

Calvin Nicholson and Vencie Glenn both made diving attempts to stop him, causing Carter to stumble. He regained his balance and stayed in bounds for the touchdown.