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Redskins vs. Patriots: Preview, matchups to watch, score prediction

By Ian Cummings

FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 9 : Colt McCoy #12 of the Washington Redskins hands the ball off to Rob Kelley #20 during the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 9 : Colt McCoy #12 of the Washington Redskins hands the ball off to Rob Kelley #20 during the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 23: Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky of the Washington Redskins looks on against the Chicago Bears during the second half at FedExField on September 23, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 23: Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky of the Washington Redskins looks on against the Chicago Bears during the second half at FedExField on September 23, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Redskins defense vs. Patriots offense

The Patriots offense hasn’t been infallible this year, but they’ve been as efficient as always under Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady is still the engineer of it all.

Efficiency is the Patriots hallmark on offense, and it just so happens that efficiency is Washington’s Achilles heel on defense. In fact, to take it one step further, one could say that the Redskins defense enables efficiency for any offense it comes across.

So far this season, the Redskins are allowing a conversion rate of 87.2 percent on third downs. Almost nine times out of ten, Washington is allowing opposing offenses to march free with their last shot. That is a historically bad, non-discriminatory mark, and at this point, delving into the talent of the matchup simply doesn’t matter, because the coaching discrepancy is so vast.

Look for the Patriots to rule this department in some form, whether it’s simple efficiency, to keep the Redskins out of reach, or whether it’s suffocating dominance of time of possession on every drive.

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