49ers power to 24-6 lead over Cardinals

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Ted Ginn had two long kick returns, Brian Westbrook scored on an 8-yard run in place of Frank Gore, and the San Francisco 49ers overpowered the struggling Arizona Cardinals for a 24-6 lead after three quarters on Monday night.

Arizona couldn't stop Westbrook, allowing him to get 103 yards on 17 carries for his first 100-yard game in two years.

San Francisco ran over Arizona early, using its running game and Ginn's returns to score its most first-half points in more than two years.

The 49ers had two drives stall in the third quarter, leading to a blocked field goal and one made from 38 yards by Shane Andrus.

It didn't matter the way the defense was playing. San Francisco held the Cardinals to 23 yards in the quarter and Takeo Spikes had an interception.

Michael Crabtree opened the scoring with a diving 38-yard touchdown catch from Troy Smith, one play after the 49ers recovered a botched handoff attempt — Arizona's 27th turnover of the season — between Derek Anderson and Beanie Wells on the Cardinals' first play from scrimmage.

Arizona cut into the lead on Jay Feely's 31-yard field goal, but Ginn returned the kickoff 41 yards to near midfield, setting up a 1-yard touchdown dive by Anthony Dixon.

Ginn later returned a punt 42 yards, setting up Westbrook's power run up the middle that made it 21-3 and set off a round of boos inside the University of Phoenix Stadium.

San Francisco played most of the first half without Gore.

He opened the game with a 25-yard run up the middle and had a 15-yard gain on 3rd-and-long six plays later, but went out with a hip injury later in the drive. Gore returned for two plays on the next series, but spent the rest of the half on the sideline without his helmet and didn't return in the second.

Feely cut it to 21-6 with a 39-yard field goal and Arizona got the ball late after Michael Adams had an interception that went through Crabtree's hands, but the Cardinals couldn't capitalize.

Arizona had just 116 yards to San Francisco's 213 in the first half, and it got even worse in the second.

LaRod Stephens-Howling returned the second-half kickoff 83 yards, only to have it called back on a penalty. Anderson, ineffective all night, threw an interception on Arizona's final play of the third quarter.