The Redskins were in the game about as long as Joe Gibbs shook Patriots coach Bill Belichick's hand afterward, a millisecond. The Patriots led, 24-0, at halftime and 52-0 in the fourth quarter before Washington mitigated the embarrassment with a meaningless Jason Campbell-to-Chris Cooley touchdown with three minutes left.
New England (8-0) rang up a franchise record 34 first downs and collected 486 yards of offense. Quarterback Tom Brady (29 of 38 for 306 yards) threw three more touchdown passes to bring his season total to 30, a career high, besting the mark of 28 he set in 2002 and equaled in 2004.
The stat-padding irked the Redskins (4-3). Twice the Patriots went for it on fourth down in the fourth quarter, the first time with a 38-0 lead and the second with a 45-0 lead. Both times they ended up tacking on touchdowns.
"What do you want us to do, kick a field goal? It's 38-0. It's fourth down. We're just out there playing," said coach Bill Belichick.
Actually, that's exactly what Washington defensive end Phillip Daniels wanted the Patriots to do.
"They could run the ball. That's what most teams do when they get ahead like that in the fourth quarter," said Daniels. "They run the ball to knock the time off the clock. It's better to kick the field goal. I would be satisfied more if you kicked the field goal rather than throw the ball or go for it on fourth down. You've already got a giant lead and you still want to go for it on fourth down, to me, that's running up the score, no matter how you look at it."
The Patriots aren't interested in winning friends, just football games.
"If the backup guys are in I'm sure coach wants them to go out and execute and make sure we get the job done," said cornerback Asante Samuel. "I don't think he's intentionally running up the score, not at all."
Maybe, Belichick just thought the points against Washington carried over next week to the Colts game.
Last team with the ball might win the midseason Super Bowl in Indianapolis. The last three weeks the Patriots have scored in order 48, 49, and 52 points. The Colts will not have the most explosive offense on the RCA Dome turf next week.
Not this time. The Patriots are averaging 41.4 points per game.
