The undefeated New England Patriots are hosting Kirk Cousins and his Washington team for what experts are expecting to be a lopsided fight in Week 9.
Washington vs. Patriots 2015 picks and predictions: New England is the unanimous pick in Week 9
Is anyone surprised?
The Patriots have all the pieces to be successful offensively with the likes of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. Together, they're the highest-scoring team in the league at 35.6 points per game, and are second in passing yards at an average of 329.3 per game.
Not all of the Patriots’ wins this year have been blowouts, though. The defense has allowed several teams to get close, but the Pats have managed to hold strong through four quarters. They’ve improved since early in the season and have become a force against the run, making quarterbacks rely on their arms -- and against teams like Washington, this is an advantage.
Cousins grabbed the starting job from Robert Griffin III in the preseason and has led the team to a 3-4 record. Cousins' numbers look OK as the starter -- he's put up more than 1,700 yards along with nine touchdowns. Eight interceptions are a red flag, however. Luckily for Cousins, wideout DeSean Jackson is expected to return after missing six games due to injury, providing the offense with a deep threat against the Patriots' secondary.
Since the first two games of the season, Washington's rushing production has dramatically decreased. Running back Alfred Morris had 121 rushing yards in Week 1 against Miami. Against Tampa Bay in Week 7, he had 5(!) rushing yards. Matt Jones, the No. 2 back, didn't see that many more than Morris against the Bucs, only accounting for 29 rushing yards.
The defense will certainly struggle to rein in Brady and Co., but its strength is in defending the pass, having limited teams to an average of 232 passing yards per game. The defensive line has taken the blame for having one of the worst rush defenses in the league, but that may not be as much of a factor against the Patriots.
None of the experts at CBS Sports are picking Washington over New England in Week 9. Here at SB Nation, our experts agree that the Patriots will walk away with the win.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark | |
| WAS vs NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE |
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