The Patriots return to the gridiron for the first time since their painful Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Although that memory is the last thing in the Patriots and their fans minds, it is a time of renewal and fresh starts, and with that it is officially time to move on to the 2018 season. Enough of the drama, enough speculation, it is time to play football, and it is also time for the Patriots to embark on a redemption season.
Stay with us tonight as we provide live in-game updates and opinions, and be sure to check us out every game this season for our always interesting live blog. Everyone enjoy tonight’s game, and feel free to comment below. We love the feedback! OK, we are about 45 minutes from game time, so get your popcorn ready, get your beverages primed, football is back.
FIRST QUARTER
15:00- The Patriots win the coin toss and of course defer. We get a chance to see the revamped defense to start the preseason.
14:50- Derek Rivers makes his presence felt immediately on the opening play. 2nd & 9…
14:20- Harris with the reception for 8, 3rd & 1…
13:43- Chung should have made the stop, but he didn’t get any help from up front and the Skins pick up one yard. 1st & 10…
13:09- McCoy hits Harris again for 12, 1st & 10…
12:40- Rowe makes the tackle after the Redskins pick up 5 through the air, 2nd & 5…
11:36- 3rd & 2 is snuffed by Chung, who continues to look good. The Redskins are forced to punt.
11:00- Brian Hoyer gets the start tonight, as expected. Expect to see a run heavy offense tonight, a theme for 2018. 2nd & 7…
10:00- Hollister with the gain of five on the reception, 3rd and 2…
9:25- The protection was good, but on that fade route, there is just no room to work with up the sideline. Not a fan of that play; I don’t mind them going deep, the fade just isn’t a great route. The Redskins will take over on offense.
9:08- Strong play from the front seven again, stuffing the run like they did on the first series. 2nd & 10…
8:27- The Redskins break free for a six-yard run, 3rd & 4…
7:44- Davis breaks free of Gilmore on the crossing route, and the Skins are now at the Patriots 24. Rough 1st quarter for Gilmore, who’s been beat three times already.
6:41- 3rd & 6 from the Patriots 20, and the Redskins are called for illegal formation. Redskins doing what they do…3rd & 11…
6:33- Awful coverage by Van Noy (he wasn’t the only culprit) and the Redskins break free for a touchdown off a simple throw and catch to the flat. After a positive start, that play shows this defense still has deficiencies. Redskins 7, Patriots 0
6:28- McCarron returns it 28 yards, and the Patriots offense starts the drive at the 28. Julian Edelman is in the game for the first time since his injury. 1st & 10…
6:02- Gillislee runs for one, 2nd & 9…
5:41- Coverage sack for the Redskins. The pocket was strong for four seconds, they just didn’t have an open receiver. 3rd & 13…
5:10- Dorsett needs to make that catch. No excuse, I don’t care about the traffic. An NFL receiver makes that catch, and so far he hasn’t shown the ability to be a legit starting NFL wide receiver. Make. The. Play. Patriots will punt.
4:55- Redskins take over at their own 26. 1st & 10 for McCoy and Co.
4:39- Shelton crashes the line and shuts down the run. 2nd & 7…
4:00- Good pressure, but McCoy got the ball out quick for the 1st down. THAT is how you catch the ball.
3:18- Wise gets good pressure on McCoy, but McCoy got it away for the 12 yard gain. Another 1st down for Washington. 1st & 10…
2:32- Holding negates a long run for Washington; the run doesn’t happen without the hold. 1st & 20…
2:02- Coverage is to loose again, leading to a 16-yard gain. That just can’t happen. 2nd & 1…
1:09- The Redskins are driving, now at the Patriots 35.
:47- Incomplete pass on 1st down, 2nd & 10…False start, Redskins. 2nd & 15…
:43- Dropped pass by Quinn leads to a 3rd & 15 situation for the Redskins. Quinn got banged up on the play.
:36- Gain of eight for the ‘Skins, but the Patriots will give them that all day. Washington will be forced to attempt a field goal.
:16- 53-yard field goal by Hopkins gives the Redskins a two-score lead. Considering the defense struggled at times on that series, I think they’ll take the field goal. The offense needs to put together a drive top at least let the defense catch their breath. Redskins 10, Patriots 0
:07- 16-yard return, Patriots will start at the 20.
:00- Hollister with a gain of two on the final play of the first quarter. That quarter was completely dominated by the Washington Redskins. Redskins 10, Patriots 0
SECOND QUARTER
15:00- Jeremy Hill (my sleeper) runs for 13 yards on his first carry. He looks explosive. 1st & 10.
14:18- Hill with the catch, 2nd & 8…
13:45- Screen pass goes wrong after the Redskins read it, 3rd & 8…
13:40- Ball dropped by Hogan; he needs to make that play. I’ve defended the Patriots receivers to date, but if tonight is a preview, we could be seeing a free agent pickup, or possibly a trade. These guys need to catch the ball when it is on their hands, especially on 3rd down. Allen with the strong punt puts the Redskins back at their own 17.
13:22- Strong pressure finally leads to a sack. Lawrence Guy makes the play, and the Redskins are now pinned back at their own 15. 2nd & 12…
12:50- And just like that, the Redskins rip off a run for 15 to pick up the 1st down. Inconsistent play from the “D” tonight. 2nd & 7…
11:23- Another hold that led to the run, but there wasn’t anyone at the second level. 2nd & 17…
10:55- McCoy escapes and almost runs for the 1st down, but before he broke the pocket, New England was called for illegal contact. Automatic 1st down.
10:26- Sims with the catch for 15, another 1st down. Not a pleasant game to watch for the Patriots and their fans.
9:47- Chung knocked it loose, but the ref called him down. It looked out, and Bill Belichick agrees. The Patriots were trying to challenge, but the horrible NFL has a rule that stops that from being a fumble due to a “lack of forward progress.” That is just dumb. 3rd & 8…
8:47- Good pressure, and rookie Keion Crossen breaks up the pass. Braxton Berrios was back for fair catch. Can the Patriots offense do SOMETHING here? They need to build some type of rhythm before the half is over. Redskins 10, Patriots 0
7:32- My guy Jeremy Hill with two runs for 20 yards, and then he runs for four more on 1st down. 2nd & 6…
6:50- Gillislee shut down for no gain; he tried getting outside, not smart for him. 3rd & 5…
6:18- Safety blitz, Hoyer read it perfectly, threw a slightly high pass to Hogan, and he dropped it again. Hoyer hasn’t been perfect, but that is THREE balls dropped on 3rd down. Teams that don’t convert on 3rd down lose more games than they win, so let’s hope this isn’t a trend. Allen with the punt, Redskins offense comes back onto the field.
5:35- Breakdown in coverage leads to a 57-yard completion to the New England three. 1st & Goal, Redskins.
4:43- Run is stuffed, 2nd & Goal…
4:30- Bootleg by McCoy, good pressure, but the coverage was non-existent. Touchdown, Redskins. There is nothing positive I can say right now, especially about the secondary. Redskins 17, Patriots 0
4:28- Gilly runs for three, 2nd & 7…
4:00- Gain of less than one, 3rd & 7…
3:21- Pass intended for Lucien is incomplete. The Patriots passing game has been completely ineffective in the 1st half. Hoyer hasn’t been great, but the drops and the lack of separation by the wide receivers is killing them. Washington was called for an illegal block, so their offense is pinned back on their own 24.
2:47- Kevin Hogan in at quarterback for the Redskins, and after two carries, Washington is facing a 3rd & 4. Two-minute warning…
2:00- Roughing the passer called on Derek Rivers on a stop. What a terrible call on a perfect hit by Rivers. He did nothing wrong, and the film will show it. It is frustrating for the players to have that happen, but once he is in the film room, he’ll see that was a great play. He has looked very good tonight, a great sign for the Patriots defense. They need a strong pass rush this season. 3rd & 11 after two stops by New England…
1:02- Bentley makes the tackle short of the 1st down, and the Patriots use their second timeout to stop the clock with just under one minute to go. Berrios is back deep to return the punt.
:49- Eight-yard gain on the screen, 2nd & 2…
:17- Lucien picks up 22 yards, 1st & 10….
:07- Lucien again for 25, and now the Patriots have a chance to kick a field goal.
:04- Gostkowski with the field goal, and the Patriots offense finally puts together a few plays and score. That is the perfect way to go into the half, especially considering the Patriots get the ball to start the second half. Redskins 17, Patriots 3
:00- Washington takes a knee, and we will take a break for halftime. Washington 17, New England 3
HALFTIME
14:49- Ryan Izzo with the catch for New England, 2nd & 6…
14:16- Two-yard gain, 3rd & 3….
13:37- Patterson with the lucky 3rd down completion, but he did catch it in traffic. The ball wasn’t even intended for him. 1st & 10…
12:58- Three yard run by Hill, 2nd & 7…
12:31- Lucien with a gain of six, 3rd & 1…
12:05- Hill with a burst through the hole for four yards, 1st & 10…
11:35- Hard running by Hill for five more yards, 2nd & 5…
11:09- Gilly with a gain of three on the run, 3rd & 2…
10:45- Someone went the wrong way, and I think it was Gillislee. 4th & 1…
10:01- Five-yard run on 4th down by Gillislee, a good sign for the offensive line. 1st & 10..
9:25- Gillislee for no gain; 2nd & 10…
8:50- Jeremy Hill with a GREAT block, but the only open receiver was two yards down field. 3rd & 8…
8:05- Jeremy Hill again, this time picking up 12 through the air. He caught it in the flat, and burnt his man before picking up the 1st.
7:24- After Hill ran for five more on 1st down, Gillislee runs for four on 2nd. 3rd & 1…
6:25- Gillislee stuffed on 3rd & 1…Patriots going for it…
5:52- Another 4th down conversion, this time Gillislee running for four. 1st & Goal…
5:11- Hill explodes to the goal line, and although he looked in, they said he was down at the one. 2nd & Goal…
4:44- Touchdown, Patriots!! Hill hammers it in from the one, and the Patriots are right back in this game, mainly thanks to the running game and a lucky catch by Patterson on 3rd down. Redskins 17, Patriots 10
4:17- Another injury for the Redskins, which is something you never want to see for either team. 2nd & 8…
4:02- Holding on the Redskins leads to 2nd & 18; the Patriots defense has a chance to get a stop and possibly allow the offense to tie things up. The defense needs to step up.
3:39- Five-yard run, Redskins facing a 3rd & 13…
3:09- Screen goes for 10, but they needed 13. The Redskins will be forced to punt, and the Patriots offensive line is going to get another chance to impose their will. Berrios with a nice return on the punt, but there was a hold behind the play.
2:07- Hill runs for three yards; 2nd & 7…
1:40- Gillislee runs for 11, 1st & 10, Patriots….
1:00- Webb runs for five yards; the rookie looks quick.
:22- Webb runs for five more, 1st & 10…
:00- The Patriots will let the clock run out on the 3rd quarter, and we have a ball game. New England is driving because their run game is grinding away at the Redskins. The fourth quarter should be fun to watch. Washington 17, New England 10
FOURTH QUARTER
14:46- Six-yard gain by Hollister, 3rd & 4…
14:16- Webb for five more, another 1st down. This kid has a nose for finding yards.
13:39- Webb for six more, and he picked up most of it from second effort. This kid can run.
13:06- Missed block, but Webb avoids the loss; 3rd & 4…
12:31- Tye with the catch in traffic, a play that isn’t easy but needs to be made. 1st & 10, Patriots.
11:58- Webb takes the toss sweep for four yards, 2nd & 6…
11:12- It wasn’t pretty, but Patterson makes a tough catch in traffic for the first down. He is making plays. 1st & 10, Patriots…
10:35- Illegal hands to the face called on the Redskins, automatic 1st down.
10:21- Izzo picks up three on the catch, 2nd & 7…
9:56- Flags everywhere on that play; 12 men on the field for Washington, the Patriots called for holding. Of course they held, they were blocking an extra guy!
9:32- Webb runs for 3, 3rd & 4…
9:05- Touchdown, Patriots!! Webb runs it in from 12 yards out; great block by Izzo to spring Webb for the score. Instead of kicking the extra point, New England went for two. Play action to Webb in the flat, he made a great adjustment, and the conversion is good!! After sleepwalking until :38 seconds to go in the 2nd quarter, the Patriots have completely dominated this game. Patriots 18, Redskins 17
9:00- Six-yard run on 1st down by Washington, 2nd & 4…
8:16- Washington is called for an illegal peelback block, a 15-yard penalty. You can’t just drill guys anymore, they will call it. 2nd & 10…
7:56- After the incomplete pass on 2nd down, the ‘Skins are facing a 3rd & 10…
7:48- The pass was caught, but he could only get one foot inbounds. The Patriots force the punt, and the offense has a chance to put together a clock-killing drive. Danny Etling will enter the game at quarterback, so expect to see a heavy dose of hand-offs. Patriots 18, Redskins 17
7:34- Two-yard loss on 1st down, 2nd & 12…
7:14- Lucien with a nice catch and run, picking up another first down on an 18-yard gain. 1st & 10, Patriots…
6:46- Webb with a run for nine more yards, and the Patriots are now facing a big 3rd & 1…
6:03- Webb picks up another first down; he just knows how to run the ball. 1st & 10, Patriots…
5:32- McCarron with the bad drop; he isn’t making this team with those types of plays. 2nd & 10.
5:26- Fumble, Patriots. Recovered by the Redskins. Turnovers will kill you; Washington in field goal range already, but they are looking for more.
4:49- False start, and the Redskins will back themselves up. 2nd & …
4:43- Five yard gain on the play, 3rd & 7…
4:02- Fumble recovered and returned to the one bu Geneo Grissom!! The Patriots offense will come out and try to punch it in. If Ryan Lewis blocked ANYONE, that would have been a touchdown.
3:56- Webb looked in after the leap of faith, but apparently not. 2nd & Goal…
3:27- Touchdown, Patriots!! Webb runs it in again, his second touchdown of the night. Once again, the Patriots elected to forego to extra point and go for two. They overloaded the right side, then ran a toss sweep to the left with Webb, who followed his blockers and took it in for two more points. New England is now ahead by two scores, and they’ve scored 26 unanswered points. Patriots 26, Redskins 17
3:18- 30 yard run by the Redskins, and now they are at the Patriots 34.
3:10- Harris with the tackle for a loss, 2nd & 12…
2:48- Eric Lee with the sack, and the Skins are now back at the 45. 3rd & 21…
2:00- Two-minute warning
2:00- Hopkins will attempt a 56-yard field goal…
1:56- He hit the post! He had the distance, but just missed it. The Patriots take over at their own 46.
1:40- Webb runs for no gain, 2nd & 9…
1:14- Berrios with the gain of five on the catch, 3rd & 4…
1:06- Etling’s pass is knocked down, and the Patriots are forced to punt. Allen pinned them back at their own nine. 1st & 10, Redskins.
:32- One-yard gain on the run, and that will do it from Foxborough. After a ROUGH first half, the Patriots completely dominated on their way to a 26-17 win. The running game was the story of the night, which is a great sign for the offensive line. The defense needs some work, but they did make their fair share of plays too.
Thank you for joining us tonight, and be sure to come back next week when the Patriots face off with the team that stole their 6th ring in February, the Philadelphia Eagles.
FINAL SCORE: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 26, WASHINGTON REDSKINS 17
