CINCINNATI (AP) – Carson Palmer passed for three touchdowns and set up another with a 48-yard completion to Chad Johnson as the Cincinnati Bengals scored on their first three possessions and beat the New England Patriots 31-3 Saturday night.

It was a breakthrough game for Palmer and a giddy night for Bengals fans, who cheered Palmer and running back Rudi Johnson, and booed former Cincinnati running back Corey Dillon – traded to the Super Bowl champions during the offseason. Palmer played only the first half and was 12-of-19 for 179 yards.

Tom Brady, New England’s two-time Super Bowl MVP, also played a half and was 8-of-13 for 126 yards, with one interception.

Palmer led the Bengals to three quick touchdowns before New England’s initial first down.

Rudi Johnson, who rushed 16 times for 76 yards, scored from the 1 to cap a five-play, 69-yard drive that included the long pass to Chad Johnson on the second play of the game.

The Patriots quickly gave the ball back to Cincinnati, and Palmer led a 56-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard pass to Tony Stewart to make it 14-0.

New England punted again after Dillon was booed following a carry that resulted in a 1-yard loss. He rushed 11 times for 31 yards.

Dillon, the Bengals’ career rushing leader, became unhappy last year and provoked a trade to New England. He threw his equipment into the stands at Paul Brown Stadium following the season finale.

Palmer also engineered a 75-yard drive, hitting T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a 9-yard score to make it 21-0. After Kevin Kaesviharn intercepted Brady’s pass, Palmer connected with Kenny Watson on a 9-yard pass to make it 28-3 just before the half ended.

The Patriots got a 25-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri to complete a drive that consumed just over seven minutes. New England had a first down on the 3 yard line, but couldn’t get in the end zone.

Shayne Graham added a 38-yard field goal for Cincinnati in the third quarter.

Palmer, the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, was given the starting job over Jon Kitna, who took every snap for Cincinnati last year and continues to be Palmer’s tutor.

Palmer made up for bad luck in the Bengals’ loss Monday at Tampa Bay, when he was 3-of-8 for 74 yards in three series, with one interception.

His numbers would have been better if two catchable passes didn’t go through receivers’ hands. Palmer’s last series that night ended when rookie running back Chris Perry fumbled.

New England coach Bill Belichick, who said the Patriots’ passing game in their preseason opening win over Philadelphia looked like “junior high schoolyard football,” had little more to be happy with this week.

Brady completed passes of 31, 17, 10 and 28 yards in New England’s field-goal drive, but he was sacked once and the drive bogged down on the 2 after a run for no gain by Dillon.

On the Patriots’ next possession, Brady appeared to have the Patriots on the move, completing quick passes of 19 and 12 yards. But his next two attempts were incomplete, and he was sacked a second time by Duane Clemons, forcing a punt.

Notes: New England FS Guss Scott and Cincinnati linebacker LaDairis Jackson left the game with knee injuries. … The Patriots preseason win streak was snapped at eight. … The game was the first played on Cincinnati’s new FieldTurf artificial grass. The Bengals ripped out the natural grass field this summer after teams consistently called it the NFL’s worst playing field.

AP-ES-08-21-04 2250EDT