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Even with a losing record of 3-4, the Washington Redskins find themselves in the thick of a weak NFC East division. Kirk Cousins led the Redskins to a dramatic comeback victory before the bye and is playing with a load of confidence.
They now face a tough matchup with Tom Brady and the unbeaten New England Patriots, but even a loss won't be season-ending for Washington. For the Patriots, a bigger cushion in the AFC East is on the line as they look to remain undefeated.
Here are three keys to the game for both the Redskins and the Patriots.
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1. Be careful not to blitz
Tom Brady is at the stage of his career where you just can't afford to send extra pass rushers his way. Having played in the same scheme and in the NFL for so long, he can quickly diagnose and beat any blitz design. Having said that, the Patriots are extremely banged up along the offensive line and the only way to disrupt their passing game is by disrupting the timing. The Redskins need to rely on their down linemen and edge rushers to apply pressure. In most situations, the best move will be to use the extra safeties in coverage over the middle -- dropping six or seven and rushing only four or five is the objective in this matchup.
2. Take deep shots to DeSean Jackson
Defenses have been able to clamp down on Washington's offense since Jackson went down with a hamstring injury in Week 1. All signs point to Jackson returning in Week 9, and the Redskins should look to get him involved early and often. Let Jackson do what he's best at -- run the go route. Even if the Redskins can't connect on these deep shots, it will open up the defense and force the Patriots to play softer coverage underneath. This will allow tight end Jordan Reed to get going.
3. Use an extra defender to stop Rob Gronkowski
The Redskins don't have a single safety or linebacker who can cover Gronkowski one-on-one. That's OK, though, because most teams are in the same boat. Instead of trying and failing to cover him with one player, the Redskins should rotate a safety down and use bracket coverage on Gronkowski. The Patriots do not take too many deep shots, so this strategy carries less risk in this matchup.
1. Contain DeSean Jackson
Jackson is expected to make his long-awaited return this week, and it's almost certain he'll come out with a ton of energy and confidence. The Patriots haven't been tested by deep threats like Jackson this season, so he could prove to be a factor in this one. Malcolm Butler admitted that he struggled against Jackson in training camp a year ago, and while he's a year older now, Jackson's speed could be a problem for the second-year cornerback.
2. Protect against the blitz
The Redskins don't have the strongest pass rush in the league, getting to the quarterback just 13 times this season. However, they're likely to blitz Brady in an attempt to get as many hits on him as possible. The Patriots' offensive line is beat up with backup left tackle Marcus Cannon not likely to play, so Brady will need to beat the blitz with short, quick passes as he typically does.
3. Pound the ball with the two-headed monster at running back
The Redskins are 30th in the league in run defense, allowing 128.4 yards per game on the ground. The Patriots have shied away from the run of late, but the team's two-headed monster of LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis could be a big issue for Washington to contain. Lewis has been outstanding as a pass catcher out of the backfield, while Blount is a finisher who can wear down a defense with his punishing runs. These two could make it a very long day for the Washington defense.
