Alex Smith Flirts with Perfection as the 49ers Thrash the Cardinals on Monday Night Football

49ers QB Alex Smith was 18 for 19 on the night for 232 yards and three TDs, and his only incompletion was a dropped pass that should have been caught. Smith and the Niners' offense were the epitome of efficient as they handed the Arizona Cardinals their fourth straight loss, 24-3, and opened a two game lead in the NFC West.

San Francisco continued to split the carries between Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, and the two combined for 98 yards on 26 carries. It's easy to see why teams are doing that now, you get solid production without wearing either guy down. That's pretty much the model for teams heading into the second half of the season to keep running backs healthy. It also sucks for fantasy owners, but do you think Jim Harbaugh cares about your fantasy team? He doesn't.

There was even a Randy Moss sighting, as he caught one pass for 47 yards and a score. I'm still baffled why they don't go to him more. He only has 13 catches so far, but he looks as dangerous as ever. Michael Crabtree scored the other two TDs on the night, and the Cardinals really couldn't get anything going offensively. They have zero running game. They only tried to run it eight times with a back and he only managed six yards.

So what happens when you can't run? The defense plays the pass every down and locks down your best player, Larry Fitzgerald. The Cards are looking at a miserable second half of the season if they can't play balanced football. The blueprint is out there to beat them, and it's not difficult. That 4-0 start is a distant memory.