Patriots’ Struggles Continue

FOXBORO, Mass. — Smiles were scarce in New England’s locker room Sunday after a 20-17 victory over Indianapolis moved the Patriots into a first-place tie in the AFC East.

The Patriots barely beat the team with the NFL’s worst record, needing a fumble recovery and Dave Meggett’s 47-yard punt return to set up their two touchdowns. They know they have to get better.

“We’re now 8-5 and we have yet to play our best football,” quarterback Drew Bledsoe said. “Whether or not we start doing that this week, I don’t know. But we need to.”

Six of the Patriot victories are against teams with losing records, but they have no soft touches in their remaining games at Jacksonville, at home against Pittsburgh and at Miami.

“We’ll have to see whether we’re worthy of the task,” New England Coach Pete Carroll said, “You might think otherwise from what went on out there today.”

Bledsoe had two touchdown passes after getting none the previous two games, but the Patriots were outgained 403 yards to 258, and Jim Harbaugh had two scoring passes for the AFC’s least-productive offense.

The Colts (1-12) have lost seven games by six points or fewer, with their one victory coming over the defending NFL champion Green Bay Packers.

The way New England safety Larry Whigham saw it, Indianapolis “should have been put away in the third quarter. We’re still letting teams hang around. If it wasn’t for our special teams today, we would have lost.”

Meggett, a running back who threw a touchdown pass last week in a 27-24 victory over Miami, gave the Patriots the ball at the Colt 28 after his punt return late in the third quarter. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Bledsoe threw for an 18-yard touchdown pass play to Troy Brown and the Patriots led, 20-10.