Brady Makes History, Patriots Ride Dominant Second Half To 33-7 Victory Over Redskins
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots remain one of the NFL's undefeateds through five weeks.
New England shook off an uneven first half to roll to a 33-7 victory over the Redskins on Sunday in Landover, Maryland.
Tom Brady left the game midway through the fourth quarter, with the game well in hand. He completed 28 of his 42 passes for 348 yards, throwing three touchdowns with one interception.
Brady moved up on the all-time passing yards list, moving past Brett Favre and into third place with a 14-yard connection to Julian Edelman in the third quarter. He now trails Peyton Manning by 17 yards for second place on the all-time passing list; Drew Brees currently sits comfortably in the top spot.
The Redskins stunningly jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, when wide receiver Steven Sims took a handoff around the right side and broke tackles from both Devin and Jason McCourty before bursting up the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown run.
The Patriots responded quickly with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took just 2:17 off the clock. That drive ended with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Julian Edelman.
New kicker Mike Nugent missed the PAT after that touchdown, but he successfully kicked a 37-yard field goal to give New England a 9-7 lead in the second quarter. Following a Jason McCourty interception late in the second quarter, Nugent added a 23-yard field goal to give New England a 12-7 halftime lead.
Nugent went 2-for-2 on his field goal attempts and 3-for-4 on PATs.
The Patriots turned it into a 19-7 lead on their opening drive of the second half, when Brady hit Brandon Bolden for a 29-yard touchdown pass. Brady made the pass while moving to his right, lobbing the ball from his own 38-yard line and hitting Bolden in stride at the 7-yard line.
New England stretched it to a 26-7 lead with a six-play, 88-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a 14-yard touchdown run by Sony Michel.
Michel finished with 91 yards and the touchdown on 16 carries.
It became a 33-7 lead when Brady connected with tight end Ryan Izzo who was left completely uncovered in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown reception.
Izzo became the 73rd different player to catch a touchdown pass from Brady, extending what is already an NFL record for the Patriots' quarterback.
The Patriots' defense was once again outstanding, limiting Washington to 220 yards and just the lone touchdown. Washington went just 1-for-11 on third downs, and the New England defense recorded six sacks and one interception. The Redskins also fumbled three times, with the Patriots recovering one.
The Patriots are now 5-0 for the fourth time during Belichick's coaching tenure and the fifth time in franchise history. The Patriots started 5-0 in 2004, 2007 and 2015, reaching the Super Bowl in two of those three years.
The Patriots have a short week coming up, as they will host the Giants on Thursday Night Football at Gillette Stadium.
