The Patriots (1-0) will try to follow a successful preseason debut with another strong outing in Landover, Md. against the Redskins (0-1) as New England continues to tune up for the regular season. The Patriots' 26-6 win over the New York Giants last Thursday began the preseason on a strong note, but Head Coach Bill Belichick knows that his team still has a lot of work to do before the regular season kicks off on Sept. 7 in Buffalo.
"Overall, it is good to get the preseason started, good to be underway and have the game under our belt," Belichick said after the Giants game. "And, there were certainly a lot of things out there that we can learn from."
The theme of any preseason is to try to constantly improve and prepare for the time when the games will count for real. With that in mind, the Patriots preseason-opening win over the Giants leaves the fans of New England with a lot to be excited about for the 2003 season. In the opener, the Patriots received contributions from its veteran core as well as from its offseason free agent signings and the 2003 rookie class.
The Patriots are continuing to work hard in August to be up for the challenge when the volume is cranked up as the regular season begins in September. Training camp at Gillette Stadium is scheduled to break on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and by the time Saturday night's kickoff rolls around, the season opener against the Bills will be just 22 days away. The Patriots will hope to keep their focus on improvement with a productive outing this weekend against the Redskins.
TELEVISON:
This week's game is the first of three preseason telecasts broadcast locally by WCVB-TV, Channel 5 in Boston, the flagship station on the Patriots preseason television network. Veteran CBS broadcaster Don Criqui provides play-by-play and is joined by three-time NFL Pro Bowler and CBS analyst Randy Cross. WCVB principal sports anchor Mike Lynch offers on-field reports from the sideline.
RADIO:
WBCN 104.1 FM is the flagship station for the Patriots Rock Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 27th season as the voice of the Patriots, and calls the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. In 2003, Santos and Cappelletti celebrate their 20th season as a broadcast tandem.
SERIES HISTORY:
This week's game will mark the 18th time the Patriots and the Redskins have tangled in the preseason, and the 24th time they have played overall. This is the sixth straight time the two teams have met in the preseason, and the eighth exhibition meeting since 1994, a span over which the Patriots hold a 5-2 lead. New England holds a 10-7 lead in the all-time preseason series. New England's only regular season win over Washington came in 1972, a dramatic 24-23 victory during a year in which the Redskins lost only three games en route to a Super Bowl berth. The Patriots are 4-2 against the Redskins in preseason games played in Washington D.C.
| **Preseason - New England 10, Washington 7** | |||
| Date | Result | /- | Site |
| 08/26/67 | Redskins 13, at Patriots 7 | -6 | Harvard Stadium |
| 08/16/70 | Redskins 45, at Patriots 21 | -24 | B.C. Alumni Stad. |
| 09/02/73 | Redskins 35, at Patriots 14 | -21 | Foxboro |
| 08/02/74 | Patriots 21, at Redskins 16 | 5 | RFK Stadium |
| 09/04/77 | at Patriots 45, Redskins 7 | 38 | Foxboro |
| 08/30/81 | at Patriots 19, Redskins 10 | 9 | Foxboro |
| 08/17/84 | Patriots 31, at Redskins 27 | 4 | RFK Stadium |
| 08/23/85 | at Redskins 37, Patriots 36 | -1 | RFK Stadium |
| 08/10/86 | at Patriots 18, Redskins 7 | 11 | Foxboro |
| 08/10/91 | Redskins 27, at Patriots 6 | -21 | Foxboro |
| 08/18/94 | at Patriots 27, Redskins 17 | 10 | Foxboro |
| 08/23/96 | at Patriots 27, Redskins 19 | 8 | Foxboro |
| 08/22/98 | Patriots 20, at Redskins 17 | 3 | RFK Stadium |
| 08/13/99 | Redskins 20, at Patriots 14 | -6 | Foxboro |
| 08/11/00 | at Redskins 30, Patriots 20 | -10 | FedEx Field |
| 08/30/01 | at Patriots 33, Redskins 13 | 20 | Foxboro |
| 08/29/02 | Patriots 28, at Redskins 14 | 14 | FedEx Field |
| **Regular Season - Washington 5, New England 1** | |||
| Date | Result | /- | Site |
| 10/01/72 | at Patriots 24, Redskins 23 | 1 | Foxboro |
| 09/03/78 | Redskins 16, at Patriots 14 | -2 | Foxboro |
| 10/25/81 | at Redskins 24, Patriots 22 | -2 | RFK Stadium |
| 09/23/84 | Redskins 26, at Patriots 10 | -16 | Foxboro |
| 12/15/90 | Redskins 25, at Patriots 10 | -15 | Foxboro |
| 10/13/96 | Redskins 27, at Patriots 22 | -5 | Foxboro |
The Last Meeting - Patriots 28, Redskins 14 - 08/29/02
The Patriots capped off a 3-1 preseason with a convincing 28-14 win over the Redskins. The New England win spoiled what had been an undefeated preseason for Washington, as the Redskins finished the exhibition slate at 4-1. The Patriots jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead and never looked back, leading 28-7 before the Redskins came up with a late score in the fourth quarter.
New England scored 21 points in the second quarter to take control of the game. Antowain Smith got the Patriots on the board with a one-yard plunge to cap off a drive on which he gained 42 yards, running seven times and catching two passes. Quarterback Damon Huard also had a solid evening, hooking up with Daniel Graham twice in the end zone in the second quarter to give New England a commanding three-touchdown advantage. The Patriots defense, led by two sacks each from Mike Vrabel and Jarvis Green, kept the Redskins from mounting a considerable comeback. Quarterback Rohan Davey found Fred Coleman on a 36-yard touchdown bomb in the fourth quarter to round out the Patriots scoring. Washington quarterback Patrick Ramsey connected with wide receiver Chris Doering from five yards out with 2:06 left to play, making the final score 28-14.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| 2002 Regular Season | New England | Washington |
| Record | 9-7 | 7-9 |
| Divisional Standings | T-1st | 3rd |
| Total Yards Gained | 5,085 | 5,143 |
| Total Offense (Rank) | 317.8(21) | 321.4(20) |
| Rush Offense | 94.3(28) | 118.1(13) |
| Pass Offense | 223.6(12) | 203.4(21) |
| Points Per Game | 23.8 | 19.2 |
| Total Yards Allowed | 5,377 | 4,787 |
| Total Defense | 336.1(23) | 299.2(5) |
| Rush Defense | 137.4(31) | 109.6(12) |
| Pass Defense | 198.7(11) | 189.6(5) |
| Points Allowed/Game | 21.6 | 22.8 |
| Possession Avg. | 29:11 | 29:36 |
| Sacks Allowed/Yards Loss | 31/190 | 38/269 |
| Sacks Made/Yards | 34/199 | 40/250 |
| Interceptions By | 18 | 14 |
| Penalties Against/Yards | 108/895 | 116/968 |
| Punts/Avg. | 71/38.4 | 73/39.1 |
| Takeaway/Giveaway Ratio | 5 | -14 |
PATRIOTS IN THE PRESEASON
New England holds an 84-111-1 (.429) all-time preseason record, including their 26-6 win over the Giants last week. The Patriots have had a winning record in seven of their last nine preseasons, and are 24-15 (.615) in the preseason since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. A winning record in the preseason has historically translated into regular-season success for New England. The Patriots have qualified for the playoffs six of the last eight times they recorded a winning record in the preseason.
BILL BELICHICK IN THE PRESEASON
Bill Belichick has compiled an overall record of 21-13 (.618) in the preseason, including a 10-4 (.714) mark as Patriots head coach. Belichick's teams have been .500 or above in all eight of his preseasons as a head coach in the NFL.
CONNECTIONS
- Head coach Bill Belichick was raised in Annapolis, Md.
- Patriots cornerback Otis Smith had his first career NFL start against Washington (12/22/91). During the game he returned an interception for a 74-yard touchdown, the first touchdown return of his career.
- Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Redskins tackle Jon Jansen played together at the University of Michigan.
- Patriots safety Je'Rod Cherry played at California with Redskins defensive end Regan Upshaw.
- Redskins center Pat Downey signed with the Patriots in February 2002 and participated in 2002 training camp with New England. Downey also attended the University of New Hampshire.
- While playing for the New York Giants, Patriots wide receiver David Patten recorded a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Washington (11/1/1998).
- Patriots rookie defensive lineman Dan Klecko played at Temple with Redskins wide receiver Sean Dillard.
- Patriots defensive back Dyshod Carter was in the same class as the Redskins' Rock Cartwright at Kansas State.
- Patriots linebacker Roman Phifer recorded his 700th career tackle against Washington, while playing for the St. Louis Rams (11/30/03).
- Patriots quarterback Rohan Davey played in the same class at Louisiana State as Redskins defensive back Fred Booker.
- Redskins defensive back Jordan Younger attended UConn.
