Everything you need to know about Week 9's Patriots-Commanders clash
FOXBORO -- For the first time ever, the Patriots will welcome the Washington Commanders to Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots have had a few other meetings with the Washington football franchise -- including a preseason matchup during the famous "Washington Football Team" days -- just not since they've been rebranded as the Commanders. So if you're heading to Gillette on Sunday, you get to see something no one else has ever seen before, we guess.
How about this for a history lesson? The franchise that would go on to be known as the Washington Redskins from 1937-2019 actually got their start in Boston in 1932. They were first known as the Boston Braves (after the baseball team) and then the Boston Redskins from 1933-36 after moving to Fenway Park.
Now that is a fun fact! As for Sunday's game, well Sundays haven't been very fun for the Patriots or their fans this season. But the 3-5 Commanders did trade away their top two pass rushers on Tuesday, so the Patriots will have a chance to keep Mac Jones upright and win for just the third time this season.
Here's everything you need to know heading into Sunday's Patriots-Commanders tilt in Foxboro.
Patriots vs. Commanders
-Washington is 6-5 overall against New England, but the Patriots have won each of the last four meetings. The Pats also won the first-ever meeting between the two teams, 24-23, at Schaefer Stadium in 1972.
-The Patriots are 2-0 against the Washington franchise at Gillette Stadium, one of 10 teams that New England is undefeated against at Gillette.
-The last time Washington came to Foxboro was Nov. 8, 2015. The Patriots won 27-10 on a pair of touchdowns passes by Tom Brady and a touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount, which was set up by a Logan Ryan interception of Kirk Cousins.
-The most lopsided game of all the New England-Washington came in 2007, when the Patriots were on quite the tear. New England won 52-7 at Gillette on three touchdown passes (including one to Mike Vrabel) and a pair of TD runs by Brady. Vrabel also had three sacks that Sunday afternoon in Foxboro.
-Mac Jones played his first game ever in a Patriots uniform against Washington during the 2021 preseason. The rookie went 13-for-19 for 87 yards in that exhibition tilt.
Connections
-Two former Patriots currently wear Commanders uniforms: QB Jacoby Brissett and linebacker De'Jon Harris, who spent four months in New England after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
-William Bradley-King, a defensive lineman on the New England practice squad, was a seventh-round pick by the Commanders in 2021.
Everything else you should know
-The Patriots offense ranks 26th in the NFL at 284.8 yards per game and 31st at 14.8 points per game. The Commanders offense ranks 20th at 319.6 yards per game and is tied for 17th at 21.4 points per game.
-The Washington defense was in rough shape even before trading away Montez Sweat and Chase Young. The Commanders rank 29th in total defense at 374.1 yards allowed per game, and 31st at 29.5 points allowed per game.
So maybe Mac and company will be able to put up some points on Sunday. Maybe.
-With Kendrick Bourne out for the season, Demario Douglas is now the Patriots' leader in receptions by a receiver at 19 and receiving yards with 222.
-Brenden Schooler has had two special teams tackles in each of the last two games. Two more this weekend and he'd become the first Patriots special teamer with at least two tackles in three straight games since Matthew Slater did so during the 2014 season.
-Patriots punter Bryce Baringer has 20 punts inside the 20 this season, which is tied for the NFL lead.
-Commanders quarterback Sam Howell can rack up the yards, sitting sixth in the NFL with 2,146 passing yards this season. He also has eight interceptions, one behind Jimmy Garoppolo for the most in the NFL.