Washington Redskins vs. New England Patriots: Redskins Grades, Notes and Quotes

The Washington Redskins entered their bye week riding high off a comeback win for the ages. In Week 9, they received a reality check from the undefeated New England Patriots. 

New England jumped out to an early double-digit lead, and unlike Washington's last opponent, it didn't let up. 

The Patriots prevailed 27-10, posting 460 total yards to the Redskins' 250. 

You're here for the specifics, though. Here are the postgame grades, notes and quotes for Washington.

Position Grades

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Position	Grade
QB	D+
RB	F
WR/TE	D-
OL	C
DL	D-
LB	D
DB	D
Special Teams	D
Coaching	D

Kirk Cousins followed the game of his life with a dud. On the game, he completed just 22 of 40 passes for 217 yards.

Given the lack of support he received from Washington's skill positions, Cousins can't be cast as the scapegoat for the team's anemic offense.

To kick things off, three of his first four pass attempts were dropped. The first, via Pierre Garcon, resulted in a tip interception, while the latter, courtesy of Derek Carrier, wiped a big play off the board.

The picture wasn't any prettier in the backfield. Alfred Morris and Matt Jones had 37 yards between them, plus a fumble. Looking at Chris Thompson, it wasn't until garbage time that he logged two receptions for 21 yards.

While the meager run production spells out how sparse running lanes were, Washington's hogs up front did hold up well in pass protection. Against a New England front that had 26 sacks entering the game, the Skins offensive line allowed just one sack.

On the defensive side of the ball, Washington simply lost the battle of attrition. The Patriots were able to run 75 offensive plays and possess the ball for over 37 minutes.

Even with the aid of two turnovers, the defense predictably wilted as a result. A gassed front seven was gashed for 161 yards on the ground and produced no pass rush. Tom Brady wasn't sacked at all and was hit just once.

Fooled on an onside kick, the Redskins special teams also failed to deliver.

Outside of head coach Jay Gruden's curious decision to go for it on 4th-and-long in field-goal range, there weren't any egregious decisions made by Washington's coaching staff. By the same token, the extra time the staff had in preparation wasn't put to good use. As New England imposed its will throughout the contest.

Important Note No. 1: Running Game Continues to Ail Washington

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Washington's season-long struggles on the ground continued in Week 9.

Under general manager Scot McCloughan's stewardship, the Redskins, if anything, were constructed to be dominant in the running game on both sides of the ball.

Wishful thinking, right?

Despite their pass-happy reputation, the Patriots came out with the intent to punish Washington on the ground. And boy did they succeed. 

New England had 161 yards on 37 carries. And this came behind an injury-riddled offensive front.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Skins were again abysmal. The team averaged 2.5 yards a carry on 15 attempts. In its past four games alone, Washington has just 172 rushing yards to speak for.

Injuries along the offensive line somewhat explain the struggles here. The defense is another matter. If you remember, the team was so satisfied with its defensive line that it passed on top defensive prospect Leonard Williams in the draft.

With little semblance of youth up front, the Skins at this rate will have to make up for this miscue early in the 2016 NFL draft.

Important Note No. 2: Silver Linings in Defeat

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With this week's loss, Washington's misery on the road continues. The team is winless on the year and has just one road win during Gruden's year-plus tenure in D.C..

Amidst this turmoil, though, are some positive takeaways.

For starters, the defense forced two turnovers. Will Blackmon forced and recovered a fumble, while Keenan Robinson had a 44-yard interception return. These takeaways effectively took points off the board for New England, with both occurring in Redskins territory. 

This was the fifth consecutive week the team registered a turnover.

Speaking of streaks, in holding Brady to 299 yards passing, Washington remains one of just three teams to not allow a 300-yard passer this season. This is all the more impressive when you consider how injuries have hampered the team's secondary. 

Quote No. 1: Washington Remains Its Own Worst Enemy

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Assessing his team's performance following yet another road loss, Gruden didn't mince words in identifying the root of Washington's problems.

"We came in here and threw some punches but none of them connected today. Too many dropped passes and missed tackles," he said, per ESPN's John Keim.

You can throw turnovers in here as well. Jones' fumble and Cousins' Garcon-aided interception brought the team's season total to a staggering 14. 

Cousins bears the brunt of the criticism for this because of his history of interceptions. But as was the case in this contest, it's clearly a team-wide problem.

If Washington is truly to compete for the NFC East crown, this is a shortcoming that has to be nipped in the bud.

Quote No. 2: Quiet Return for DeSean Jackson

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DeSean Jackson's return was ballyhooed as one that would reinvigorate Washington's offense. So much for that.

It took a touchdown in the final minutes for the offense just to match its season-low in points. Targeted six times, Jackson mustered 15 yards on three receptions.

The time he missed and the nature of his game makes him susceptible to such a performance. Good luck telling Jackson that, though.

Speaking to NBC's Jason Pugh postgame, Jackson expressed dissatisfaction at how he was used:

"

DeSean Jackson told me he can't call the plays or throw the ball to himself #Redskins

— Jason Pugh (@JPughNBC4) November 8, 2015"

With a matchup looming in Week 10 against the high-powered New Orleans Saints, it's in the Skins' best interest to involve Jackson heavily into the game plan.