Cardinals Hope Victory Will Save Bugel’s Job : NFC: Beuerlein sets a franchise record in 27-10 victory over Atlanta, then wonders if his coach will be back next season.

ATLANTA —  Steve Beuerlein and the Phoenix Cardinals played as if they wanted Coach Joe Bugel to keep his job.

Beuerlein wasn’t even aware he set a Phoenix record of 14 consecutive completions to start the game as the Cardinals rolled to a 27-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

“I sure hope so,” Beuerlein said when asked if he thought finishing on a three-game winning streak saved Bugel’s job.

“We’ve got a good thing going. We are all adamant that we want it to stay the way it is.”

It left the Cardinals (7-9) two games short of owner Bill Bidwill’s preseason mandate to Bugel--win this season or lose his job. The Cardinals won four of their final five games.

“We do anything we can for Coach Bugel. We aren’t just winning because we hate to lose, we are trying to make it a habit. It grows,” Beuerlein said.

Bugel wouldn’t talk about his job, saying only: “I’ll be at work tomorrow. Whether or not I’m here after that is Mr. Bidwill’s decision.”

The Falcons (6-10) finished with a three-game losing streak.

Beuerlein completed 27 of 33 passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns--two to Randal Hill.

Rookie Ron Moore, who didn’t start the Cardinals’ first five games, carried 32 times for 96 yards to wind up with 1,018 yards for the season.

Beuerlein started the first possession for Phoenix by completing seven passes, including a seven-yarder for a touchdown to Hill.

One pass fell incomplete on the drive, but Deion Sanders was called for holding, negating the play.

After Erric Pegram, who wound up with 57 yards in 12 carries, fumbled on the Atlanta 28 to end the Falcons’ second possession, Beuerlein completed three passes in a five-play, 26-yard drive, including a nine-yarder to Hill for a touchdown. Again, one pass fell incomplete, but an offside by Atlanta nullified that play.

Beuerlein’s string came to an end late in the second quarter when, with Ron George yanking on his jersey, he tried to pass to Gary Clark in the end zone.