Patriots Vs. Redskins Halftime Thoughts

As the New England Patriots head into halftime of their week nine game against the Washington Redskins with a 17-3 lead, here are some thoughts on the first half of action.

Brady Is Human- After skating through the first seven games of the season with his only pick coming off of a mishandled pass against the Colts, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady proved he's human in the second quarter today. As the Patriots were driving in the red zone, Brady attempted to hit Julian Edelman for a completion just yards from the end zone. Instead of a completed pass, Brady was hit with his second interception of the year and the first one that was really his fault. linebacker Keenan Robinson read the play well, sat back and then pounced on the ball. It was a moment that showed that even the greatest players have a hiccup every once in a while. To his credit, Brady followed the play and made a potential touchdown-saving tackle. While he had the one turnover, the veteran still put together a strong first half performance, completing 15 of 22 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.

Multiple Turnovers- New England had a bit of an uncharacteristic first half, as they turned the ball over twice. First, Julian Edelman fumbled on a third down reception then Brady threw the red zone pick. It hasn't hurt them much but it's safe to say those mistakes probably won't continue in the second half.

O-Line Carousel- Second year center Bryan Stork returned to action today, but not at his usual position. Stork saw a few snaps at left guard in the first half as David Andrews has once again played every snap at the center position. Why fix something that isn't broken? While Stork is back, it appears that the Pats took another hit to the offensive line in the first half, today. Veteran tackle Sebastian Vollmer, who has the most experience of any of the New England line options, left the game with an apparent head injury and was not seen on the sideline towards the end of the half. If he is a no go in the second half, look for tight end Michael Williams to fill the void, as he played tackle with the Detroit Lions.

Blount Force Trauma- Running back LaGarrette Blount had his way with the porous Redskin run defense, rushing for 58 yards on 12 carries. He also had a score. Look for the big back to continue to dominate in the second half.

Missed Opportunities- The New England defense has played well so far, but they have also been aided by a few big missed opportunities by the Washington offense. Redskins receivers have given quarterback Kirk Cousins no help as they've dropped a number of passes early. Cousins is just seven for 14 for 60 yards in the game, but that's due to a lack of execution by his receivers than anything else. The Redskins also missplayed an onside kick early in the game that the Patriots recovered.

Wild Fourth Down- With the ball just inside the Patriots 40-yard line, the Redskins attempted to go for a fourth and 11 play rather than kick a field goal or punt. Just another example of a bizarre decision by an opposing head coach against the Patriots. When will these other coaches realize that they can't outsmart Bill Belichick.

Expect the Patriots to blow this open in the second half.