By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) -- The end was as good as the Vikings could have
imagined: Brett Favre zipped a pass to a little-used reserve
wide receiver in the back of the end zone in the final seconds
for a classic Favre finish.

Greg Lewis leaped for a 32-yard touchdown catch with 2 seconds
left while a flattened Favre watched from his stomach, and the
Vikings stunned the San Francisco 49ers 27-24 on Sunday to stay
unbeaten.

In his first real home game with his new team, Favre overcame a
bunch of bad throws and a few more hard hits to his
almost-40-year-old body and found that winning touch again.

"It's hard to even recall all of 'em. This one was pretty
special," said Favre, who now has 43 comebacks from
fourth-quarter deficits or ties on his career record.

An official review confirmed Lewis's feet were inbounds, sending
the sellout crowd into a frenzy.

"I've had some hard losses. This is just another one for the
list," 49ers cornerback Nate Clements said. "We just have to
keep chopping away."

The first five series of the second half: Three punts, Favre's
first interception, and a turnover on downs. The Vikings (3-0),
who gained only 85 yards on Adrian Peterson's 19 carries, still
had three timeouts left and were able to force a punt. They got
the ball back at their 20 with 89 seconds remaining.

"I didn't say a whole lot," Favre said. "I knew what I was
thinking: We blew our chances."

Well, not quite all of them.

The last play began with 12 seconds left, and Favre stepped
forward in the pocket and slid to the right by design to buy
time for his receivers to move in position. Instead of throwing
a ball up for grabs, he figured he could get close enough to the
line of scrimmage to fire a line drive that would be tougher to
defend.

Lewis watched the quarterback's eyes, and broke the other way -
Favre said he didn't even know who was running across the end
zone - to find room near the right corner.

He caught his first pass from Favre, who completed six throws on
that drive, and looked forward to the next one.

"The offensive line was fired up. Adrian was fired up, and the
receivers were fired up. And Brett fell right in. He was fired
up, too, like: 'We're going to get this done,"' Lewis said. "And
that's the attitude that we took out there on the field."

That's exactly why the Vikings wanted to sign Favre so badly.

Defensive end Jared Allen was asked what he thought when the
offense set up for the final possession.

"Be Brett. One time. Just be Brett," Allen said.

Favre finished 24 for 47 for 301 yards and two touchdowns, the
most passes he's thrown in a game since Nov. 11, 2007, when he
beat the Vikings while with Green Bay by going 33 for 46 for 351
yards and three touchdowns. The Packers, by the way, are up
next.

Their defense is surely eager to put some pressure on an old
teammate. Favre took plenty of blows from the 49ers (2-1) and
listed aches to his right foot, left knee, both shoulders and
neck when asked for a report on his health.

He was spry enough, though, to throw a pass from his own end
zone and sprint upfield past a zig-zagging Bernard Berrian to
put his body into linebacker Patrick Willis for a block at the
end of that 36-yard catch-and-run.

Favre was worn out from this, further raising the question about
his ability to complete a full season. For now, the Vikings will
take his clutch touch.

"He's been in many, many, many, many situations like that,"
coach Brad Childress said, "so it never hurts you to have a
veteran like him going down the field."

Until the end, Favre was being outplayed by Shaun Hill, a former
Minnesota third-stringer who threw two touchdown passes to tight
end Vernon Davis. The second was a 20-yard toss over three
defenders that gave the Niners a 24-20 lead midway through the
fourth quarter.

They sacked Favre twice and applied plenty of pressure. The
Hill-to-Davis combination led to seven completions and 96 yards.
And they survived the early exit of star running back Frank Gore
to an ankle injury by rallying on the road to the verge of
victory.

Naturally, the players were devastated, but coach Mike
Singletary wouldn't have it.

"You have nothing to be looking at the floor for!" Singletary
yelled, not worried reporters were in the adjacent room. "You
didn't steal anything! You didn't do anything wrong! OK? We're
going to get better! We're going to get there! We will see them
again in the playoffs, all right? You hold your head up!"

NOTES: Favre's last 300-yard game was on Nov. 22, 2007, a
381-yard performance at Detroit. ... Minnesota's Darius Reynaud
was hurt, apparently his left hamstring, while returning a punt
in the third quarter. ... Glen Coffee filled in for Gore and had
54 yards on 24 carries. ... The Vikings gave up another special
teams TD: Clements picked up a blocked field goal right before
the half and returned it 59 yards. Harvin answered in the third
quarter with a 101-yard kickoff return for a score.