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The Arizona Cardinals didn't need their starting quarterback to conquer a longtime nemesis and remain atop the most difficult division in football.

Backup Drew Stanton did just fine.

Stanton threw a pair of third-quarter magic slim capsule touchdown passes to rookie John Brown and also the Cardinals rallied to beat San Francisco 23-14 on Sunday. Arizona snapped a four-game losing streak to Bay area and beat the 49ers for just the 2nd amount of time in their last 11 meetings.

Tommy Kelly blocked a field goal for that Cardinals (3-0), who outscored Bay area 17-0 in the other half.

The 49ers (1-2) mounted 80-yard touchdown drives the first two times they'd the ball, then didn't score again, blowing a halftime lead for the second week consecutively.

Stanton, starting for injured Carson Palmer for the second straight week, completed 18 of 33 passes for 244 yards and 2 scores. He's not yet been intercepted. Michael Floyd caught five for 114 yards.

The Cardinals, alone atop the NFC West, have a bye next week.

"It sets the table for many really good items to come," Stanton said.

The 49ers' Colin Kaepernick completed 29 of 37 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 54.

A week ago, San Francisco led 17-7 and lost in your own home to Chicago 28-20. This year, San Francisco has outscored opponents 59-16 in the first couple of quarters, but been outscored 52-3 in the second half.

Coach Jim Harbaugh, a guy of not many words after the loss, was asked if he had an explanation for the second-half troubles.

"No, I do not," he said. "We've just got to play better. We're not playing good enough at this time."

The 49ers were up 14-6 in the break this time before Stanton connected with Brown on touchdown passes of 24 and 21 yards.

"Coming the whole practice, the sport 7 days herbal slim plan was around me to get the ball within my hands more," Brown said, "because many people are looking at Larry (Fitzgerald) and Michael. It simply opened up big-time, so I only agreed to be prepared for it."