49ers Take Control Of NFC West With 24-3 Win Over Cardinals

Oct. 29, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver (15) Michael Crabtree celebrates a second quarter touchdown with teammates against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The San Francisco 49ers took control of the NFC West with a dominating 24-3 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. The 49ers now sit at 6-2 and are two games ahead of the Seattle Seahawks and Cardinals. San Francisco also holds a tie-breaker advantage over both team.

San Francisco finally got a big game from former first-round pick Michael Crabtree. The receiver hauled in two early touchdown passes and totaled 72 yards on the night. Veteran Randy Moss went on to show that he still has wheels in the second-half when he caught a pass and raced 47 yards to the endzone.

At quarterback, Alex Smith put on an incredible performance. Smith threw the ball 19 times and completed an impressive 18 of those attempts. Smith finished with 232 yard and three touchdowns through the air.

For the Cardinals, they turned in another pathetic effort on the offensive side of the ball.

As a team, Arizona carried the ball just nine times for seven yards. Through the air, John Skelton never seemed to find a rhythm and Larry Fitzgerald was evaluated for a possible concussion. Skelton finished the game with a quarterback rating of 68.6 — compared to Smith’s 157.1.

The 49ers look to be the only serious playoff contender in the NFC West.