49ers 27, Cardinals 6
Brian Westbrook came off the bench to rush for 136 yards and a touchdown, leading the visiting San Francisco 49ers to a 27-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.
Filling in for an injured Frank Gore, Westbrook had his first 100-yard game in nearly two years as the 49ers (4-7) won for the third time in four games to move one game behind NFC West co-leaders Seattle and St. Louis.
Troy Smith threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree and Anthony Dixon had a 1-yard scoring run as San Francisco jumped out to a 21-6 halftime lead en route to sending Arizona (3-8) to its sixth consecutive defeat.
Westbrook, who had just five carries for nine yards on the season entering the game, scored midway through the second quarter to pad the lead to 21-3 as the 49ers piled up 261 yards on the ground.
The veteran running back came on early in the first quarter after Gore suffered a hip injury and went over 100 yards rushing for the first time since he amassed 131 with the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 7, 2008.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, managed just eight first downs and had only 13 yards rushing – the franchise’s lowest total since 1953.
Arizona quarterback Derek Anderson was 16 of 35 for 196 yards and an interception. Smith finished 11 of 23 for 129 yards with a TD and a pick.