By Phil Dickson – New England Patriots Writer
It was a game of two halves for Sony Michel and the New England Patriots as the visitors eventually ran out comfortable winners over the Washington Redskins, 33-7, at FedEx Field.
With a penetrable offensive line, a faltering run-game and missed connections in the air, the Patriots appeared to have picked up where they left off in Buffalo. Amassing just one rushing yard in the first quarter, they struggled to establish themselves in the game and the Redskins took full advantage.
Uncharacteristically, the top-ranked defense also stuttered out of the gate, having to burn a timeout prior to the first snap of the game to avoid a penalty for 12 men on the field. The slow start continued on Washington’s next drive as wide receiver Steven Sims Jr, a rookie free agent out of Kansas, benefitted from two missed tackles in the New England secondary to take an end-around 65 yards for a touchdown. For the first time all season, New England trailed.
Tom Brady and co. responded rapidly. Primarily in the shotgun, no-huddle offense, Brady led the Patriots down the field on their very next possession, capping off a six-play, 75-yard drive with a touchdown to Julian Edelman, on a day in which he overtook Brett Favre to go third in the list of total passing yards (71,923 yards).
This drive was the exception in an otherwise sloppy first-half offensive performance from New England. As the defense returned to normality, pressuring Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy and improving their turnover differential, the offense was unable to capitalise. Following a fumble recovery and a Jason McCourty interception, Brady took over on the Washington 16-yard and 11-yard line respectively with opportunities to take control of the game before the half.
However, with the pocket crumbling around him and a non-existent run game, a pressurised Brady could not convert on either short field. One ended with a red-zone interception and the other with a field goal, courtesy of the boot of Mike Nugent. They led by 12-7 at the half, but with only 19 rushing yards to their name, against one of the worst performing run defenses this season, something had to change. And change it did.
Michel came out of the dressing room reminiscent of the playoff-dominating back of last season. He had four total rushing attempts in the first half alone yet matched this on the Patriots’ opening drive of the second half as they marched down the field and stretched their lead through a 29-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Bolden. This turnaround continued on the next drive, as Michel broke numerous tackles on a 25-yard burst before capping the drive off with a score of his own, fending off defenders as he rushed in from 14 yards out.
It was not just on the ground that the first-round draft pick from Georgia did his damage and wore down the Redskins defense. For the first time this year, after much hype in training camp, Michel was used as a pass-catching back. With the versatile James White and Rex Burkhead competing for snaps, Michel has had little opportunity in this sphere. However, he appeared comfortable in the role and brought in three receptions for 32 yards to add to his 91 rushing yards. With the seemingly predictable run game of the first four weeks, Patriots fans will be hoping to see this utilised a lot more in weeks to come.
New England continued to stifle McCoy and the Redskins offense throughout the afternoon. As the best third-down defense in the league coming into the match-up, they held Washington to just 1-for-11 on third-down attempts, suffocating any chance they had of getting back into the game.
This lacklustre display was the final nail in the coffin for Jay Gruden, Washington’s head coach, as the team moved to 0-5. He stated in his post-match press conference that “if the key works Monday, I’ll keep working.” Unfortunately for him, the locks have been changed as the Redskins announced his firing on Monday morning with immediate effect.
As for Belichick and the New England Patriots, the cycle continues, and it is on to the Giants with a resurgent backfield in tow.
Feature Picture – Credit: Barry Chin/Boston Globe
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