The Patriots (2-1) return to the road this weekend to face the Washington Redskins (2-1) at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. New England will look to continue its momentum after winning its last two games, including last week's 23-16 victory over the New York Jets in the home opener at Gillette Stadium. The Redskins, on the other hand, will try to get back on the winning track after their bid for a 3-0 start was foiled by the New York Giants in overtime last weekend. At stake for both teams is an opportunity to finish the opening month of the 2003 season with a solid 3-1 record.
New England enters this week's contest against the Redskins after showing a successful balanced attack last week against the Jets. The Patriots ran for more than 100 yards as a team for the second time in three games as Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith combined for 134 yards on the ground. New England also showed proficiency in the passing game, as quarterback Tom Brady singled out tight ends Daniel Graham and Christian Fauria for a combined five catches for 86 yards against New York. The Patriots will face a challenge on defense, lining up against the Redskins offense, which is ranked number one in the NFL after three weeks, averaging 406 total yards per game. But New England's defense has been productive itself, as Tedy Bruschi and Asante Samuel have each come up with interception returns for touchdowns since Week Two.
The Patriots were in D.C. just six weeks ago for a preseason matchup with the Redskins, but have not traveled to Washington for a regular-season game since Oct. 25, 1981. The 22-year gap between trips is the longest for any Patriots opponent and spans 355 games, during which time the Patriots have played in 32 other NFL cities.
Television:
This week's game will be televised by CBS. The game can be seen locally on WBZ-TV Channel 4 in Boston. Greg Gumbel will handle the play-by-play duties and Phil Simms will provide analysis. Armen Keteyian will provide reports from the sidelines throughout the game. Following the game, the Fifth Quarter postgame show can be seen on WBZ-TV.
Radio:
WBCN 104.1 FM is the flagship station for the Patriots Rock Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 27th season as the voice of the Patriots, and calls the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. In 2003, Santos and Cappelletti celebrate their 20th season as a broadcast tandem.
National Radio:
This week's game will be broadcast nationally by Westwood One Radio. Dave Sims and John Riggins will call the action from FedEx Field.
Patriots vs. NFC
New England has won seven of its last eight games against NFC opposition, dating back to the 2001 season. The streak includes the Patriots' Super Bowl XXXVI win over St. Louis. The Patriots have won four straight games against the NFC, including a 31-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week Two. New England posted identical 3-1 records against the NFC in 2001 and 2002.
The End of the Road
The Washington game will mark the end of an opening month in which the Patriots will have played three of their four games on the road. New England will return home for the month of October, playing three of their next four games at Gillette Stadium. They will begin a two-game homestand against the Tennessee Titans (Oct. 5), followed by a clash with the New York Giants (Oct. 12).
Series History
The Patriots will square off against the Redskins for the seventh time in the regular season and for just the second time since 1990. The Redskins have won the last five games in the six-game series. Three of the last five games have been decided by five points or less. The Patriots are playing in Washington in the regular season for just the second time in their history. The last time New England traveled to the District of Columbia for a regular-season game was on Oct. 25, 1981, when they were edged at RFK Stadium, 24-22. Since that time, they have played in 32 other NFL cities, including Los Angeles, which no longer has a team, and Baltimore and Houston when teams other than the current clubs played there. The Patriots have played 355 games since their last regular-season trip to Washington, including postseason contests. Despite their regular-season unfamiliarity, the Patriots have played the Redskins frequently in the preseason. The teams have tangled in the exhibition slate in each of the past six preseasons. The Patriots beat the Redskins in the 2003 preseason, taking a 20-13 win on Aug. 16. New England holds an 11-7 lead in the all-time preseason series, with a 6-2 lead in the eight games since 1994.
| **Washington 5, New England 1** | |||
| Date | Result | +/- | Stadium |
| 10/01/72 | at Patriots 24, Redskins 23 | +1 | Foxboro |
| 09/03/78 | Redskins 16, at Patriots 14 | -2 | Foxboro |
| 10/25/81 | at Redskins 24, Patriots 22 | -2 | RFK |
| 09/23/84 | Redskins 26, at Patriots 10 | -16 | Foxboro |
| 12/15/90 | Redskins 25, at Patriots 10 | -15 | Foxboro |
| 10/13/96 | Redskins 27, at Patriots 22 | -5 | Foxboro |
| **Series Trends** | |
| Overall Record in Series | 1 win, 5 losses |
| Total Points | Redskins 141, Patriots 102 |
| Record in New England | 1 win, 4 losses |
| Record in Washington | 0 wins, 1 losses |
| Longest winning streak | 1 game (10/01/72) |
| Longest losing streak | 5 games (09/03/78 - present) |
The Last Time
Washington 27, Patriots 22 – October 13, 1996
The Patriots dropped to 3-3 on the 1996 season with a five-point loss to the Redskins at Foxboro Stadium. The Patriots brought a 16-10 lead into halftime, but a pair of Redskins touchdowns in the third quarter lifted Washington to a 27-22 win. After the loss to the Redskins, the Patriots won eight of their last 10 regular-season games to finish at 11-5, then won a pair of playoff games in Foxborough to earn a trip to Super Bowl XXXI.
Curtis Martin was the offensive star of the game for the Patriots, rushing 17 times for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Drew Bledsoe completed 23-of-48 passes for 222 yards and Gus Frerotte passed for a pair of touchdowns for Washington. For the Redskins, Henry Ellard led the way with eight receptions for 152 yards and a touchdown.
The Patriots got a pair of field goals by Adam Vinatieri to take a 6-3 lead by the end of the first quarter. The teams traded touchdowns before another Vinatieri field goal gave the Patriots a 16-10 lead at halftime. But Frerotte threw for a pair of third-quarter touchdowns to give the Redskins a 24-16 lead. The Patriots clawed back to within two points on Martin's second touchdown of the afternoon, but Washington got another field goal in the final minute to put the game away, 27-22.
Tale of the Tape
| **2003 Regular Season** | **New England** | **Washington** |
| Record | 2-1 | 2-1 |
| Divisional Standings | T-1st | T-1st |
| Total Yards Gained | 842 | 1,218 |
| Total Offense (Rank) | 280.7 (24) | 406.0 (1) |
| Rush Offense | 104.7 (16) | 136.3 (7) |
| Pass Offense | 176.0 (24) | 269.7 (T-2) |
| Points Per Game | 18.0 | 23.3 |
| Total Yards Allowed | 919 | 840 |
| Total Defense | 306.3 (16) | 280.0 (8) |
| Rush Defense | 90.3 (14) | 95.0 (16) |
| Pass Defense | 216.0 (18) | 185.0 (10) |
| Points Allowed/Game | 19.0 | 22.7 |
| Possession Avg. | 31:47 | 32:18 |
| Sacks Allowed/Yards Lost | 9/62 | 13/80 |
| Sacks Made/Yards | 10/58 | 5/23 |
| Interceptions By | 4 | 2 |
| Penalties Against/Yards | 29/292 | 35/276 |
| Punts/Avg. | 21/40.4 | 15/37.5 |
| Takeaway/Giveaway Ratio | +4 | –3 |
Unfamiliar Foe
The Patriots and Redskins have faced off in the regular season just once since the beginning of the 1991 season. New England played Washington in 1996 in the teams' only meeting in the past 12 seasons. With the new NFL scheduling format that took effect last season, the Patriots and Redskins will now face off at least once every four years, eliminating the scheduling aberration. This season, the Patriots will get reacquainted with some old foes as they play four teams they have played two times or less since the beginning of the 1991 season
| **Times played** | ||
| **Team** | **Since 1991** | **Year(s)** |
| Washington Redskins* | 1996 | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2000, 1997 | |
| New York Giants* | 1999, 1996 | |
| Dallas Cowboys* | 1999, 1996 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles* | 1999, 2003 | |
| *-2003 opponent | ||
Connections
-Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick was raised in Annapolis, Md.
-Patriots Strength & Conditioning Coach Mike Woicik was born in Baltimore, Md.
-Patriots fullback Larry Centers played for the Redskins in 1999 and 2000, setting a team record for receptions by a running back with 81 catches in 2000.
-While playing for the New York Giants, Patriots wide receiver David Patten recorded a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Washington (11/1/1998).
-Patriots linebacker Roman Phifer recorded his 700th career tackle against Washington while playing for the St. Louis Rams (11/30/97).
-Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Redskins tackle Jon Jansen were teammates at the University of Michigan.
-Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi attended the University of Arizona, as did Redskins running back Trung Canidate and Redskins linebacker Antonio Pierce.
-Patriots strong safety Je'Rod Cherry played at California with Redskins defensive end Regan Upshaw; Patriots rookie linebacker Tully Banta-Cain also played at California.
-Patriots quarterback Rohan Davey played in the same class at Louisiana State as Redskins tight end Robert Royal. Patriots defensive end Jarvis Green was a year ahead of the two, and running back Kevin Faulk also played at Louisiana State.
-Patriots fullback Fred McCrary played two years ahead of Redskins guard Randy Thomas at Mississippi State.
-Redskins defensive end Regan Upshaw, while playing for the Oakland Raiders, started at New England in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff Game at right defensive end and made five tackles, including one sack for a 7-yard loss. He also forced one fumble.
-Redskins punter Bryan Barker had a 60-yard bomb while playing for Jacksonville against New England (1/3/99), setting a Jaguars team playoff record and establishing his postseason personal best.
-Redskins safety Matt Bowen caught his first career interception against New England (10/13/02) while playing for the Green Bay Packers.
-Redskins guard Randy Thomas made his NFL debut against the Patriots while playing for the New York Jets.
-In his first season with Washington, defensive end Bruce Smith recorded a sack on the first play of preseason against New England (8/11/00).
Passing Performances
Tom Brady is facing the Redskins for the first time in the regular season. He has played against Washington three times in the preseason, winning the two games he started and compiling a 96.9 passer rating in the three games in which he played. Washington's Patrick Ramsey has faced the Patriots in each of the past two preseasons, losing in his only start and earning a 60.3 passer rating in the two games.
| **Tom Brady vs. Washington Redskins (2-0 preseason)** | |||||||||
| **Date** | **A** | **C** | **Yd** | **%** | **TD** | **I** | **Rating** | **W/L** | **Score** |
| 08/11/00 | |||||||||
| 08/30/01 | 19 | 11 | 166 | .579 | 1 | 0 | 104.3 | Did not Start | |
| 08/29/02 | 10 | 7 | 59 | .700 | 0 | 0 | 85.0 | W | 28-14 |
| 08/16/03 | 18 | 9 | 145 | .500 | 1 | 0 | 95.8 | W | 20-13 |
| Totals | 47 | 27 | 370 | .574 | 2 | 0 | 96.9 | 2-0 | |
| **Patrick Ramsey vs. New England (0-1 preseason)** | |||||||||
| **Date** | **A** | **C** | **Yd** | **%** | **TD** | **I** | **Rating** | **W/L** | **Score** |
| 08/29/02 | 14 | 7 | 102 | .500 | 1 | 1 | 68.2 | Did not Start | |
| 08/16/03 | 24 | 13 | 149 | .542 | 0 | 1 | 55.7 | L | 13-20 |
| Totals | 38 | 20 | 251 | .526 | 1 | 2 | 60.3 | 0-1 | |
Patriots – Redskins Quick Hits
-The Patriots have not defeated the Redskins since 1972, marking their longest drought against any NFL team.
-The Patriots have not played in Washington since 1981. Since that time, they have played in 32 other NFL cities, including visits to play the Baltimore Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Raiders and Houston Oilers.
-The Redskins are one of just three teams (along with Seattle and Tampa Bay) that the Patriots have not defeated since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994.
-New England has won seven of its last eight games against NFC opposition, dating back to the 2001 season. The streak includes the Patriots' 20-13 win over St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI.
-The Patriots have defeated the Redskins in six of their eight preseason meetings since 1994, including once in each of the last three years.
