The showdown between the New York Giants' quarterbacks of the present and past was upstaged by the best quarterback at Giants Stadium on Sunday - Jake Plummer.

Plummer replaced former Giants quarterback Dave Brown in the second half and threw two touchdown passes to lead Arizona to a 34-24 victory on Sunday, the Cardinals' third straight win and New York's third straight loss.

Both teams are 5-6 and two games behind first place Washington (7-4) in the NFC East with five games to play. The Redskins beat Philadelphia 20-17 in overtime.

Kerry Collins, chosen to replace Kent Graham on Monday, led New York on three long scoring drives, but they weren't enough to overcome the three touchdown drives Plummer produced in his first action since breaking his right ring finger on Oct. 17 against Washington.

Plummer, who was 12-of-18 for 125 yards, took advantage of a Collins' interception to hit Rob Moore on a go-ahead 2-yard TD pass early in the third quarter for a 13-10 lead. He added a 9-yard touchdown pass to backup tight end Johnny Williams on the first play of the fourth quarter and led a 60-yard touchdown march that Mario Bates capped with a 2-yard run after New York closed to 20-17 in the fourth quarter.

Eric Swann scored on a 42-yard interception return with 1:57 to play to close out the scoring for Arizona, which got two field goals from Chris Jacke with Brown running the team in the first half.

Collins, 22-of-45 for 298 yards, had three interceptions and a fumble, all in the second half after he scored on a 1-yard sneak in leading New York to a 10-6 lead in an errorless first half.

Collins' biggest turnover was on the Giants' first second-half play from scrimmage. His slant pass hit off Amani Toomer, and linebacker Rob Fredrickson returned the ball 23 yards to the New York 16. Five plays later, Plummer rolled out on third-and-goal, and Moore stole the ball from cornerback Phillippi Sparks for a touchdown and 13-10 lead.

The touchdown pass to McWilliams, Plummer's first of the season, stretched the lead to 20-10 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Collins then drove the Giants 88 yards, with rookie Sean Bennett scoring on a 1-yard sweep.

Plummer responded, taking the Cardinals 60 yards, with Bates scoring for a 27-17 lead, and Swann iced the game with his interception. Collins hit Tiki Barber on a 34-yard TD play in the final minute.

Collins got on track on the final two series of the first half, hitting 10 of 13 passes for 141 yards and 10 points.

Collins hit Toomer for 22 yards, tight end Pete Mitchell for 12 and Ike Hilliard for 33 before sneaking over from the 1 for a 7-3 lead.

Brown got the Cardinals within a point on the next series, hitting Moore with a 44-yard pass to set up a 20-yard field goal by Jacke.

Collins directed a nine-play, 66-yard two-minute drill that ended with Cary Blanchard kicking a 24-yard field goal for the 10-6 halftime lead.