It was over when ...
LB Mike Vrable forced a fumble by Redskins QB Jason Campbell that was recovered by DE Ty Warren with Washington trailing 17-0 late in the second quarter. Instead of the Redskins putting points on the board before halftime, the Patriots converted the turnover into a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Randy Moss.
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| Jim Rogash / Getty Images |
| Patriots CB Asante Samuel intercepts a pass intended for Redskins WR James Thrash. |
Game ball
Vrabel caught his tenth career touchdown on a 2-yard pass from Brady to give the Patriots a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. In the same quarter, Vrabel sacked Campbell twice, foring the third-year quarterback to fumble each time. As if that wasn't enough, Vrabel did it again in the third quarter, sacking Campbell and forcing a fumble that was recovered for a TD by LB Rosevelt Colvin. Still not impressed? Vrabel fielded a Redskins onside kick in the fourth quarter and finished the game with a team-high 11 tackles.
Key stat
The Redskins turned the ball over four times -- three coming on fumbles by Campbell.
Noteworthy
The matchup between the Redskins' Joe Gibbs and the Patriots' Bill Belichick was the first ever between the two coaches with three Super Bowl rings. ... All 10 of Vrabel's career receptions have gone for touchdowns and all have come from from Brady. ... With three TD passes, Brady now has 30 on the season, eclipsing his career-high of 28 set in 2002 and 2004. ... Asante Samuel's second-quarter interception was his fourth of the season and 14th since 2006 -- most in the NFL in that period. ... The Patriots tied an NFL record set by the St. Louis Rams in 2000 by scoring at least 30 points in each of their first eight games.
