49ers’ Continuing Their Turnaround With Defense, 23-7 : NFC: San Francisco gets six sacks and forces five turnovers in victory over the Eagles.

PHILADELPHIA —  The San Francisco 49ers are on the rebound.

The 49ers continued to recover from their worst start in nine years with six sacks, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions for a 23-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

It was the first road victory for the 49ers, who held the Eagles to 29 yards rushing in 14 carries. Don Griffin intercepted a pass and recovered one of the fumbles. Charles Haley had three sacks and Larry Roberts had two.

Steve Young led a timely offense against the second-best defense in the league, completing 10 of 15 passes for 96 yards and scrambling for 32 yards. Keith Henderson helped keep the offense balanced with 76 yards in 23 carries.

The victory sent the 49ers (4-4) into the second half of the NFL season with a second consecutive victory.

San Francisco Coach George Seifert said he was glad to get off the “lose-win, lose-lose, lose-win scheme the 49ers have been mired in.”

Seifert said he was particularly pleased with the 137 yards the team gained rushing.

“They’re (Eagles) an outstanding defensive club, so it was important to run the ball some,” he said.

The Eagles (3-5), who lost their fourth consecutive game, struggled as quarterback Jim McMahon returned after missing two games with a surgically repaired right knee, only to be forced from the game when he aggravated the injury just before halftime. McMahon wore a brace on the right knee, matching the one he has worn on the left for 10 years.

Backup quarterback Jeff Kemp, signed a week ago, then sustained a concussion and was sent to a nearby hospital for X-rays. Eagle Coach Rich Kotite said Kemp would undergo a CAT scan.

When Kemp went down, McMahon limped back into the game. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 222 yards and was sacked four times.

“You can’t win when you turn the ball over,” Kotite said. “We shot ourselves in the foot. It’s hard to find good things when you lose four in a row.”

The Eagles’ top-ranked pass defense did a good job on the 49ers’ No. 1 pass offense, holding Jerry Rice to two catches for four yards. John Taylor caught five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.

The 49ers drove 80 yards on 13 plays after the opening kickoff and scored on a 21-yard touchdown pass play from Young to Taylor.

The Eagles took the ensuing kickoff and drove 90 yards in 11 plays with McMahon passing 21 yards to Keith Byars for the Eagles’ first offensive touchdown in 14-plus quarters and 43 possessions.

San Francisco regained the lead, 14-7, with the help of a muff by punt returner Rod Harris that gave the 49ers the ball at the Eagles’ 35. San Francisco scored on eight plays and two penalties, with Tom Rathman running the ball in from the two with a minute left in the first half.