New York's loss gave the Patriots a snow-plow clear path to the playoffs. New England must beat the Bills next week to finish 11-5 and then hope that the Jets beat or tie the Dolphins, who won yesterday to also go to 10-5, or that Baltimore (10-5) loses or ties against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The former scenario would give the Patriots a sixth straight AFC East title, the latter would give them a wild-card berth and the sixth seed in the AFC.
"We don't control any of that," said linebacker Junior Seau. "The only thing we're guaranteed is one more game now, and we know that we have seven days to be together and that's going to be important for us. We're not taking anything for granted. We're going to finish off what's guaranteed to us and that's one more game."
It didn't take the Patriots long to finish off the Cardinals. While the Patriots were playing like a team feverishly fighting for a playoff spot, the Cardinals, who are already in the playoffs as the NFC West winner, played with the passion of a preseason game.
At the end of three quarters, the Patriots led, 44-0, and had outgained Arizona, 470 yards to 45. New England scored on nine of its first 10 drives, piling up points faster than the snow, which dissipated after the first half.
The Patriots took a 14-0 first-quarter lead on a pair of touchdown runs by LaMont Jordan, who entered the game with just one touchdown as a Patriot, and never looked back.
"Any time that weather is an issue you want to try to get out in front as quick as you can," said Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. "We talked a lot about that during the week. I thought we played a complementary game. The defense got off the field, and we had good punt returns, good field position.
"I felt like we were in their end it had to be the whole first half. We didn't really have to drive the ball a long way there until the end when we had the two-minute drive. Getting ahead was important in [those] kind of conditions because a 7-point lead is a 10-point lead or a 14-point lead seems like it's 21 points at that point."
