New England Patriots: 3 Bold predictions vs. Redskins in Week 5
2. New England defense will continue to shine
Another bold prediction that will take place in the Week 5 face-off between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins this weekend is that the Patriots defense will continue to shine while cruising to a fifth-straight victory and second straight win on the road.
Although the story with New England will always be with its offense — at least as long as Tom Brady is a part of that offensive unit — the Patriots defense has been really solid through four weeks this year.
New England’s defensive unit allowed its first touchdown of the season in last week’s victory over the Buffalo Bills on the road, ending an impressive streak of holding the opposing offense out of the end zone prior to that point.
So far this season through four contests, the Patriots statistically have one of the top defensive groups in the NFL. They have allowed opponents to average just 243.0 yards per game, which is the best in the league. New England has also allowed its opposition to average just 6.8 points per game, which is also the best mark in the NFL.
Another impressive aspect of this Patriots defense is their ability to force their opponent into turning the ball over. Coming into Week 5, New England is the only team in the league to have a double-digit total in interceptions, ranking first in the NFL with 10 interceptions, while the next closest teams have recorded five.
The Patriots have also forced teams into fumbling the ball three times in four games, which is tied for 16th in the league.
When looking at New England’s opponent in Washington, it has been less-than-impressive on the offensive side of the ball this season, which will also play into the favor of the defending champions.
Coming into Week 5, the Redskins are averaging 296.2 total yards offensively, ranking them with the fifth-lowest total in the league. They are also tied for the fourth-lowest point per game mark with 16.5 points per contest.
There are many aspects of this game that looks to favor New England, but one area it will continue to step up and shine in will come defensively in what is becoming one of the best defenses in the entire league in 2019.