Cardinals Offer No Resistance

Drew Bledsoe threw four touchdown passes in a game for the sixth time in his career, and never have they come so easily.

On each scoring play, New England’s receivers were as wide open as the desert sky Sunday as the Patriots beat the Arizona Cardinals, 27-3, to improve to 6-2, their best start since 1980.

Bledsoe, who completed 14 of 22 passes for 276 yards and was not intercepted, threw for three touchdowns in the first half as New England opened a 20-0 lead. After a a three-yard scoring pass to Lamont Warren, he connected with Shawn Jefferson on touchdown plays of 64 and 35 yards.

It was the first time this season that New England won in a breeze. Four of the Patriots’ five previous victories were by three or fewer points, and their biggest margin before Sunday was 19-7 against Cleveland.

“This was exactly what we needed,” Patriot Coach Pete Carroll said. “We needed a nice, good win where we could have fun.”

Bledsoe threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Terry Glenn on the second play of the fourth quarter to put the Patriots up 27-3. The receivers found themselves alone against an Arizona defense that ranked third in the NFL against the pass going into the game.

“Our receivers have good speed, and the Cards haven’t seen us much,” Bledsoe said. “These guys aren’t familiar with us. It made it a lot easier.”

Cardinal Coach Vince Tobin said the last two touchdowns were the result of blown assignments in Arizona’s secondary.

“In simple three-deep zone coverages we had people who were trying to do somebody else’s job rather than their own,” said Tobin, whose team is 2-5.. “It wasn’t that complicated. We just didn’t have people where they were supposed to be.”