Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald catches a 37-yard touchdown during the first half against the Eagles on Sunday. (US Presswire)

The Philadelphia Eagles managed to survive turnover- and penalty-filled games in the first two weeks of the NFL season, but their mental mistakes finally caught up to them as they were thumped by the Arizona Cardinals 27-6 on Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Cardinals forced two turnovers they turned into touchdowns, including a 93-yard fumble return by safety James Sanders on the final play of the first half. The other came when Eagles rookie Damaris Johnson made a nice punt return, but the Cards’ Anthony Sherman stripped the ball from his arms and Arizona took over on the Eagles 38. The Cards went on to score a touchdown for a 10-point lead that they would never lose.

Arizona also got a big game from wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who caught his 700th career pass, a 37-yarder from QB Kevin Kolb, and went over 100-yard receiving mark for the 33rd time in his career.

The Cardinals’ defense dominated the Eagles for most of the game and harassed and hit quarterback Michael Vick all day. He completed fewer than half his passes (45.9 percent), didn’t throw a touchdown pass, fumbled twice and finished with a passer rating of 64.8. He didn’t get much help from his patchwork offensive line, but Vick continues to hold the ball too long and take too many hard hits.

Kolb, who was the starter in Philadelphia until Vick took his job in 2010, completed 70.8 percent if his passes, threw two TD passes, didn’t turn it over and finished with a QB rating of 127.4.

When the game turned: Vick threw a pass over the middle to WR DeSean Jackson and Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes wrestled him down on the 1. Still, the Eagles had first-and-goal, but the Cards stopped them twice and on third down Vick went back to pass and was blindsided by Rhodes. Vick fumbled the ball,  Sanders picked it up and returned it 93 yards for a TD and the Cardinals were in control thanks to two big hits by Rhodes.

Highlight moments: The sack and forced fumble by Rhodes that safety Sanders scooped up and returned 93 yards for a TD on the final play of the first half. … The 27-yard TD catch by Cardinals WR Larry Fitsgerald, the 700th TD of his NFL career.

Top-shelf performances: Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. He’s now scored nine TDS in five career games vs. Eagles. … Kolb had passer rating of 127.4, the third highest of his career. … Eagles rookie WR Johnson had career highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (84). … Eagles DE Jason Babin had 1 ½ sacks, the 13th multi-sack game of his career.

What they said about the sack, fumble and 93-yard TD return by Cardinals

Vick: “I should have gotten the ball out of my hands. … I knew he was coming.”

Eagles coach Andy Reid: “I’ve got to help (Mike Vick) with certain things and (blockers) have got to make sure they make the right protection call and (Vick) has got to make sure he sees them. It’s a combination of things.”

Kolb: “Those are plays that seem like they come around once every five years. Our defense does it once every five games.”

Numbers you should know: This is the first time the Cardinals have been 3-0 since 1974, when they were in St. Louis. That team, coached by Don Coryell and led by QB Jim Hart and RB Terry Metcalf, finished 10-4 and lost to Vikings in first round of the playoffs. … The Eagles have 12 turnovers after three games and the last time they had that many this early was in 1976. … Fitzgerald caught his 700th career pass in the second quarter and became the youngest player in league history to reach that milestone (29 years, 23 days).

Injury update: Both teams were without a key starter –- Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin (hip-pointer) and Cardinals S Adrian Wilson (ankle, groin). Cards RB Beanie Wells left game with toe injury and DT Darnell Dockett with a pulled hamstring. For Eagles, LB Akeem Jordan aggravated hamstring injury and did not return.

Going forward: Eagles –- Things don’t get any easier because their next five games are all against teams that made the playoffs last season. And that includes the team that won it all, the Giants, their long-time NFC East rival whom they meet in a prime-time showdown next Sunday. After that, it’s the Steelers, Lions, Falcons and Saints. Cardinals –- It’s the opposite for the Cards, whose next four games are against teams that did not make the playoffs last season and probably won’t make them this season – Dolphins, Rams, Bills and Vikings. It gets a lot tougher after that, so this is when the Cardinals have to make hay.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Philadelphia Eagles from blogger Kevin Noonan, follow @CBSEagles.