EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Manny Lawson delivered the 49ers' biggest play Sunday when he hopped over a Giants lineman to block a field-goal attempt that Nate Clements returned 74 yards for a touchdown.

But Lawson said Tully Banta-Cain – who wasn't even on the field at the time – deserves an assist.

Lawson and Banta-Cain rotate at nose tackle on field-goal defense. On the Giants' previous attempt, Banta-Cain told Lawson the guards on either side of the snapper were firing out low at the start of the play.

"It was a perfect opportunity for someone to jump over," Lawson said.

And that's what he did, getting such a good jump that John Carney's 35-yard attempt struck him in the face mask.

"I didn't notice (how close I was) until I realized the ball blocked me," Lawson said.

This was the second week in a row the 49ers returned a blocked field-goal attempt for a touchdown. They became the first team in NFL history to accomplish that back-to-back feat.

Lawson had missed the past two games because of a hamstring strain, and there were lingering questions about whether he had fully recovered from the torn knee ligament he suffered early last season.

The linebacker, however, blocked a punt in Week 2 this season, and he said he received his most action of the year Sunday. He finished with four tackles – one for a loss – forced a fumble and blocked an Eli Manning pass.

"I would hope so," Lawson said when asked if this game answered doubts about his injury. "My knee hasn't bothered me since I've come back."

Fuzzy math – Mike Nolan was asked why he didn't use a timeout late in the first half with his team driving for a game-tying touchdown.

The 49ers had three timeouts when Frank Gore was flagged for illegal motion with 46 seconds left in the half. Because the penalty occurred with less than a minute to go in the half, the 49ers either had to take a timeout or be hit with a 10-second runoff.

Nolan chose the runoff.

"Because I thought we had time for about six plays going into the end," Nolan said. "A play typically takes 16 seconds, and the clock was already stopped."

Officials, however, restarted the clock after the penalty. By the time the 49ers snapped the ball, there were 28 seconds on the clock, meaning the 49ers would have had 18 more seconds had they taken the timeout.

Two plays later, J.T. O'Sullivan threw an interception in the end zone, and the 49ers entered halftime with two unused timeouts.

Rookie review – For the second consecutive game, rookie wide receiver Josh Morgan played ahead of Bryant Johnson. The sixth-round pick led all receivers Sunday with five catches for 86 yards, including his first touchdown, a 30-yarder early in the second quarter. Morgan, however, also dropped a long second-half pass.

Johnson was slowed by a groin injury last week. But he practiced in the week leading to Sunday's game and was not on the injury report.

Et cetera – Return man Allen Rossum injured his groin early in the game and did not return. Nate Clements and Arnaz Battle handled punt-return duties, and tight end Delanie Walker ran back kickoffs.

• Defensive lineman Ray McDonald injured his knee and was replaced by first-round pick Kentwan Balmer, who played more than he had all season. Balmer did not record a tackle.

• Team owners John and Jed York were given a tour of the Jets' and Giants' new stadium, which is being built mere yards from the current one. The $1.3 billion stadium is scheduled to open in 2010.

Read Matthew Barrows' 49ers blog at www.sacbee.com/ninersblog.