Washington Redskins: 4 Keys to Loss vs. New England Patriots

It's not necessarily that any Redskins fan went into the game on Sunday thinking the Redskins would come out with a victory. However, some people were convinced that a shootout was possible. 

Mentioning the word "shootout" in a game that matches Tom Brady against Rex Grossman seems a little ridiculous. But in Grossman's defense, he did a pretty decent job. As did the Redskins as a team. 

Given the loss, the Redskins are now officially eliminated from playoff contention and fans can begin to look forward to the offseason. But for now, here's a few thoughts as to why the Redskins dropped a close one at home to the Pats. 

4. Right Stuff at the Right Time for New England

Even in a game where the Redskins controlled the clock and had their chances at the end, they couldn't seem to stop New England when it counted most. 

It was either that, or Bill Belichick was using his ghost magic to execute all the right plays at all the right times. 

The Patriots controlled the second quarter by stringing together a 15-minute, 16-play drive that eventually resulted in a field goal. 

To close the first half, Tom Brady and the Pats put together a very nice eight-play drive as part of their two-minute drill to snag points before the half. 

New England then wasted no time following the break, as they scored on the opening possession of the second half with a seven-play drive resulting in a touchdown. 

And to wrap up the Patriots' scoring total, they'd get seven points late in the third quarter to outscore the Redskins in the second half and ultimately seal the deal. 

It's never a good thing to give up points. And everyone assumed that the Redskins would do so. But giving them up at crucial points during the game not only changes the scoreboard, but it also alters momentum. None of which is in Washington's favor. 

3. Too Many Weapons, Not Enough Answers

Although it's not really the fault of any specific player or game plan, the New England arsenal was entirely too much for the Redskins to handle. 

That being said, the New England arsenal is usually too much for any team to handle. 

Going into the game, I assumed that Wes Welker would cause his typical matchup problems for Jim Haslett and the Redskins, which he did. But it was the play from tight ends (who are more like wide-ends) Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez that really did damage. 

Gronkowski would finish the game with six catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns, Hernandez hauled in five balls for 84 yards and Welker had seven grabs for 86 yards and a score. 

Simply put, the Redskins were outmatched in coverage and there wasn't much adjustment that could have helped them. 

2. Lack of Pressure on the Golden Boy

When going against one of the game's best quarterbacks, the key to at least help your team towards victory is to apply as much pressure as possible. Knock the guy down, make him uncomfortable, hurry him, get him out of the pocket, etc. 

In the case of Tom Brady, the Redskins did pretty much none of that. 

Near the end of the first quarter, the Redskins defense did a good job of closing the pocket quickly and watched Brady do nothing but cover—giving Washington their first and only sack of the game on an early (but critical) 3rd-and-9. 

After that sack by Stephen Bowen and Barry Cofield in the first, the Redskins barely touched Brady the next three quarters. And it showed. 

Brady completed about 60 percent of his passes and finished the game with 357 yards and three touchdowns. 

Additional pressure would have certainly caused headaches for Brady. That, however, is much easier said than done.

1. Turnovers...No Surprise

What's worse? Rex Grossman taking a sack and fumbling the football to give the Patriots an easy touchdown? Or watching a former Redskins player that was deemed washed-up cause that fumble?

They both hurt pretty bad, and we all had the opportunity to experience that early in the first quarter when former-Redskin Andre Carter sacked Grossman and Vince Wilfork recovered the fumble for a touchdown. 

Being that it was so early in the game, this expected turnover by Grossman wasn't too bad. Sure, it put the Redskins in a quick and early hole, but at least there was time to recover. 

The more significant of the Redskins turnovers came in the final seconds of the game when the Redskins were attempting to tie. 

The Redskins put together a solid 12-play drive with just over six minutes to play in the game. The play-calling seemed good, players had momentum and there was life instilled in the seats at FedEx Field. 

Following a questionable offensive pass interference call on Santana Moss that took a touchdown off the board, Grossman went back to Moss on a short pass in the middle of the field on 3rd-and-9 on the Pats' 9-yard line. That pass, of course, went through Moss' hands and was intercepted by New England's Jerod Mayo to end the game. 

As Redskins fans, we're used to turnovers. And to be completely honest, fans don't have too much to be upset about after Sunday's loss. But after putting up such an effort and coming up just nine yards short against a legitimate AFC contender, the turnovers are going to naturally resonate the most.