Pro Sports

Halfway to 16-0? Patriots can get there by beating Redskins

Posted November 07, 2015 6:00 am

By HOWARD FENDRICH

ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY, NOV. 8 AND THEREAFTER - FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2015 file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady looks for a receiver against the Miami Dolphins in the second half of an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass. If New England can beat visiting Washington on Sunday, which it is heavily favored to do, the Patriots would improve to 8-0, halfway to a second perfect regular season. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) The Associated Press

If Tom Brady and the New England Patriots can get past the visiting Washington Redskins on Sunday - and the reigning Super Bowl champions are roughly two-touchdown favorites - they will get to 8-0, halfway to another perfect regular season.

And even if coach Bill Belichick and his well-programmed players can be expected to do whatever they can to avoid talking about that topic, the rest of the NFL-watching world will be focused on the pursuit of 16-0 and, eventually, 19-0.

"I don't really think it matters. I think, for us, you just want to play and be ready to go each game," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. "I don't think we're good enough to sit here and worry about 16-0. We just got to focus on this game and try to win that one."

Given how inconsistent Washington has been - outscored overall this season by 20 points - and how consistently good New England has been - outscoring opponents 35.6 to 19, on average - There are few reasons to think the Redskins (3-4) will be the first team to stop the Patriots (7-0).

"Our mentality is: They're the best team in the NFL, and if we want to compete and show that we're worthy of being on the same field as them," Redskins Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams said, "then we're going to have to bring our 'A' game."

The last time New England won its first seven games, in 2007, it wound up completing an unbeaten regular season, then got to 18-0 before losing to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

That year, the Patriots were coming off the scandal known as "Spygate," accused of improperly taping opponents. This time around, they're coming off the scandal known as "Deflategate," accused of improperly altering the air pressure in footballs during the AFC championship game.

Here's more to know about Sunday's game:

HOME AND ROAD: Set aside all of the various evidence, statistical and otherwise, that suggests the Patriots should win this game, and simply consider this contrasting data: For his career, New England quarterback Tom Brady is 94-14 in home games that he's started (a winning percentage of .870), while the Redskins are only 1-10 on the road under second-year head coach Jay Gruden (a winning percentage of .091).

GOING LONG: Brady leads the NFL with a 115.8 passer rating, thanks in large part to a tremendous ratio of 20 TDs to one INT. In the fourth quarter, he gets even better: 143.5 rating, 7 TDs, zero INTs, 76.7 completion rate. And the Patriots are tied for fourth in the league by averaging 4.14 pass plays of 20 or more yards per game. "It's great to have those 12- and 13-play drives, but it's great to score in one play or two plays, also," Brady said. "It's a quarterback-receiver trust relationship; trying to put the ball where our guy can make a play on it and believing that our guy's not going to allow them to make a play."

UP TO COUSINS: When Redskins QB Kirk Cousins throws an interception this season, the team is 0-4. When he doesn't, the team is 3-0. He had his first multiple-TD game of the season in Washington's previous game, throwing three in a 31-30 victory over Tampa Bay on Oct. 25 - before the Redskins' bye - that was the biggest comeback in franchise history. "I expect him to be poised, just a little bit more poised, every week," Gruden said.

'GRONK' AND REED: The game features the most dynamic tight end in the league, New England's Rob Gronkowski, against an up-and-coming star at the position, Washington's Jordan Reed. Gronkowski's 40 catches this season are tied for the most for a tight end and he has an AFC-high seven TD grabs; Reed has 35 catches despite playing in only seven games and he scored twice in his previous outing. Gronkowski called Reed "a savvy young tight end."

RUN WOES: New England has the third-fewest rushing attempts per game (why run when you have Brady?) But Washington wants to gain yards on the ground and has been having real problems lately, averaging 45 yards rushing over the past three games.

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Freelancers Ian Quillen and Brian McNally in Ashburn, Va., contributed to this report.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY, NOV. 8 AND THEREAFTER - In this photo taken Oct. 25, 2015, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media following an NFL football game against the New York Jets, in Foxborough, Mass. If New England can beat visiting Washington on Sunday, which it is heavily favored to do, the Patriots would improve to 8-0, halfway to a second perfect regular season. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) The Associated Press

ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY, NOV. 8 ND THEREAFTER - In this photo taken Oct. 25, 2015, Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden watches the action during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Landover, Md. Washington is a heavy underdog heading into its game Sunday at New England, and if the Patriots win, they would improve to 8-0, halfway to a second perfect regular season. (AP Photo/Mark Tenally) The Associated Press

ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY, NOV. 8 AND THEREAFTER - In this photo taken Oct. 25, 2015, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) passes the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Landover, Md. Washington is a heavy underdog heading into its game Sunday at New England, and if the Patriots win, they would improve to 8-0, halfway to a second perfect regular season. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) The Associated Press

ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY, NOV. 8 AND THERAFTER - In this photo taken Oct. 29, 2015, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates his touchdown in the first half an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Foxborough, Mass. If New England can beat visiting Washington on Sunday, which it is heavily favored to do, the Patriots would improve to 8-0, halfway to a second perfect regular season. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) The Associated Press

ADVANCE FOR SUNDAY, NOV. 8 AND THEREAFTER - FILE - in this Aug. 29, 2015 file photo, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jeremy Butler, left, drags Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall as he rushes the ball in the first half of a preseason NFL football game in Baltimore. Washington is a heavy underdog heading into its game Sunday at New England, and if the Patriots win, they would improve to 8-0, halfway to a second perfect regular season. (AP Photo/Gail Burton, File) The Associated Press

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