In the final dog days of another losing season, the Washington Redskins are trotting out a reminder from the glory days.

The Redskins announced Thursday that longtime defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon will be inducted in the team’s “Ring of Fame” at halftime of the Christmas Eve game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The ceremony might motivate at least a few fans to show up for a game between teams whose combined record is currently 6-20.

Petitbon says it “hadn’t been fun” following the Redskins over the past 20 years, but he thinks they’re on the right track with coach Mike Shanahan.

The Redskins won three Super Bowls with Petitbon on the staff. He was the defensive coordinator from 1978-92, mostly under Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BOSTON (CBS) – It’s another matchup against a lesser opponent, but the New England Patriots have to focus on playing a full 60-minutes Sunday against the Washington Redskins.

Washington has lost seven of their last eight, but still have the talent defensively to make the Patriots miserable. Head coach Mike Shanahan has always done well against Bill Belichick and the Patriots (owning a 5-3 record over Bill) and his defense’s seem to know how to disrupt Tom Brady. At least they did in Denver.

Life in Washington has been different for Shanahan, but the scheme remains the same. While the Patriots will have to worry about slowing the Skins down on defense, the concern with Washington’s offense will be about getting one individual the ball, and making sure he is the one to make a mistake with it.

Here are a few of the key matchups heading into Sunday’s tilt.

Another Great Pass-Rush

In what seems to be an ongoing trend, the Patriots will face another one of the NFL’s better pass-rushing teams on Sunday. Washington features a strong tandem of linebackers, including Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan who have combined for 12.5 sacks this season.

“They’re good, very good,” said quarterback Tom Brady. “They can rush, they’re good in coverage, too; I think that’s the thing that surprises a lot of people because they’re 260, 265-pound guys. I feel like every week, we’re talking about their pass rushers.”

“We’ve played quite a few good pass rushers this year. I think these two guys are right up there in terms of their ability to set the edge in the running game, to collapse a pocket, strip sack the quarterback,” added Brady. “Even if they’re not sacking the quarterback, they’re forcing the ball out quickly. They’re good players I think. They’re the key to the whole defense.”

Despite going up against some of the league’s best pass-rushers, New England has only allowed 21 sacks in the first 12 games.

Stopping the Redskins rush will not be easy though, and will be a full team effort. Shanahan, who Brady is 1-5 against in his career, likes to bring his linebackers up to the line of scrimmage to mask who is blitzing and who is dropping back into coverage. All the Patriots on the field, not just linemen, will have to be ready to do their job, whether it be blocking or getting open as fast as they can.

“The front line will do their job; we need to make sure we’re in the right place,” said receiver Deion Branch. “They do a great job at disguising a lot of different things. We have to be on point this week.”

Read: Vollmer Out, 12 Patriots Questionable

“They have great rushers, great outside linebackers. We have to be ready and block them,” said tight end Rob Gronkowski. “Whenever I’m in pass protection I have to do a good job there. Tom has to get the ball out quick so they only have a chance at getting to him.”

“When you play good pass rushers, you’ve got to understand that at some point, they’re going to be there. So you just don’t have all the time to sit around and make decisions, so you just try to get the ball out,” said Brady. “A lot of it comes down to coordinating the routes with the protection and then ultimately getting the ball out fast enough. If you know that these guys are really aggressive pass rushers, than you have to throw the ball quick. You have to screen them, you have to trap, you have to draw, you have to do all the things it really takes to keep them off-balance as well. But if you just let certain guys tee off, play from behind all day, it’s going to be a long, hard day.”

Watch: Gresh & Zo Whiteboard

Even if the Patriots contain Orakpo and Kerrigan, there are still other veterans that can hurt the Patriots on the defensive side. Defensive Ends Stephen Bowen and Adam Carriker are enjoying all the focus both Orakpo and Kerrigan draw, already setting new career highs with 4.5 and 5 sacks, respectively. There is also 14-year veteran linebacker Londan Fletcher patrolling the field, who leads Washington with 124 tackles.

“London’s a great football player; he’s played a lot,” Waters said of the 36-year-old Fletcher. “He’s all over the field. He hasn’t changed much and he hasn’t slowed down much. If you ask me how long that could play, he could probably play for a long time.”

If the Patriots can keep Brady standing, he will still have corner DeAngelo Hall to deal with. But as long as he gets a chance to throw the ball, New England should be fine.

Make Rex Grossman Throw

As bad as the Patriots secondary has been this season, their goal on defense Sunday should be to make quarterback Rex Grossman throw the ball.

Grossman was Washington’s starter at the beginning of the season, but after throwing four interceptions to the Eagles in the middle of October (and nine in a four-game span), he found himself on the bench. But John Beck couldn’t do much either under center, so Grossman is back out there.

He has a big arm, and he likes to use it. Sometimes it’s not the smartest move, but Grossman is not afraid to air things out.

“I think in his aggressiveness, there are probably some throws that he’d like to have back,” Belichick said of Redskins QB. “I think that’s part of what makes him good is that he is aggressive. Defensively just because it looks like you have fairly good coverage on a player doesn’t mean he won’t try to stick it in there. Sometimes he makes plays and sometimes it doesn’t quite get into that spot, but he’s definitely not afraid to be aggressive and throw it in there. I think defensively you have to respect that.”

Stats:  Pats-Skins Head to Head Analysis

“He’s going to throw that ball deep. He definitely takes some chances,” said former Redskin Andre Carter. “He is definitely a gunslinger. That’s something we have to do, avoid the deep ball.”

“He can move,” said linebacker Jerod Mayo, who had his first career interception against the Colts last week. “They move him a lot. They move him out of the pocket and he can make all the throws on the run. That’s the challenge for us, and hopefully we’re up to the task.”

One way to put the game in Grossman’s hands:  stop the run.

“This is a big ‘do your job week’ because of some of the things they do. They run the ball very, very well,” said nose tackle Vince Wilfork. “That starts up front with the defensive line and the inside backers. We have to do a good job stopping the run, playing the run well to be successful. If not, we’ll lose this ballgame.”

While Mike Shanahan been changing his running backs more often than Belichick grunts during a press conference, Washington now features Roy Helu out of the backfield, who has put together back-to-back 100-yard weeks.

Read: Bill vs. Mike

“He’s a great running back,” Mayo said of Helu. “He runs hard, runs at pad level, and he’s their second leading receiver right now. He’s a great player.”

Running the ball is nothing new in a Shanahan system, and the Patriots are well aware with that.

“Shanahan has had success wherever he’s been running the ball,” said Wilfork.  “We know that; it’s not going to change. It starts with the running game. We can’t be third and two, third and three all game, or it’s going to be a long, long night. We have to buckle up on first and second down, force them into some long situations.”

Read: Wilfork Says Key Is Stopping Skins Run

The Patriots haven’t had issues with the run, ranking 10th in the NFL allowing just over 100-yards a game. Stopping Helu on Sunday will be key to getting Grossman to use his arm and very mistake-prone decision-making.

If Rex Grossman is the one to beat the Patriots on Sunday, then Washington earned it. He will be without his top target in tight end Fred Davis, who was suspended for a repeat violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. He may still complete a few big passes, likely to former-Patriot Jabbar Gaffney, but the more Grossman throws the ball the more likely it will end up in the Patriots hands.

Watch for Kyle Arrington to be salivating all afternoon.

Tune in to the Patriots-Redskins game Sunday on WBZ-TV and 98.5 The Sports Hub at 4:15pm. Pregame coverage begins on WBZ-TV with Patriots Gameday at 11:30am and at 1pm on The Hub. Stay tuned after the game for all the reaction and analysis on 98.5, and over on MYTV38 with Patriots Fifth Quarter.

Washington Redskins nose tackle Barry Cofield has yet to break out his Taser sack dance while in the burgundy and gold, but the sixth-year pro believes that he is getting closer to that moment as he continues to gain comfort in Washington’s defense.

A 4-3 defensive tackle for all of his professional career, Cofield made the switch to the nose tackle position after signing with Washington and has found himself learning on the fly. He is the only starting defensive lineman yet to record a sack, but did get his first hit on the quarterback against St. Louis. He admittedly still is working to adjust to taking on double-teams on a regular basis.

But Cofield has found another way to make an impact, breaking up four passes, which after four games led all NFL defensive linemen.

“I’m just trying to help the team wherever I can, man,” said Cofield, who has recorded 11 tackles in four games. “Lot of times you’re getting double-teams, so the best thing you can do when you are in that situation is get your hands up, and hopefully get some batted balls.”

Two of Cofield’s pass deflections came last week against St. Louis, and the defensive lineman believes that was his best game in the 3-4 defense so far. Physically, he hasn’t struggled. But he has found himself slowed by the mental aspect associated with reading blocks and still being able to identify the direction of plays.

“It’s actually a position with a lot of technique,” Cofield said. “People would find it hard to believe, but it has a lot of technique, to have to see the blocks and the combinations are the most important things. The more I see and the more I practice, the more comfortable I’ll feel. The physical part, those are God’s gifts.”

Four games are in the books, and the Washington Redskins have reached their bye week. The jury still is out on this team as three-quarters of the season remains. But we’ll take this time to evaluate the team at its current state. Today features a look at the defense, Wednesday we examined the offense and on Friday special teams.

A year after fielding the league’s 31st-ranked defense, the Redskins needed to make a big leap in Year 2 under coordinator Jim Haslett. And thus far, they have. At the season’s quarter-pole, Washington is allowing just 296.5 yards per game, fifth-best in the NFL.

After the team upgraded its personnel in the offseason, adding pieces better-suited for the 3-4 scheme, the Redskins have shown improvements across the board. They’re stopping the run (84.5 yards per game, sixth-fewest in the league), putting pressure on the quarterback (with 15 sacks, they’re tied with Philadelphia for first in the NFL) and getting off the field on third downs (opponents have converted just 13 third-down attempts thus far). In fact, Washington is tied with the New York Jets for the best third-down percentage in the league (26 percent).

Through four games, the Redskins have allowed just six touchdowns. Only the Ravens and Titans have allowed fewer. And only the Jets have allowed fewer than the three passing touchdowns given up by Washington.

Haslett has talked a lot about an aggressive defense and his team’s play reflected it in the first quarter of the 2011 season. The Redskins have shown a variety of blitz schemes, have attacked quarterbacks and thus far have notched seven forced fumbles, tied for second in the NFL.

While many might look to the addition of rookie Ryan Kerrigan as the biggest upgrade, the overhaul of the defensive line has made a huge impact. They’ve not only opened lanes for linebackers and found success stopping the run, but the line has also steadily made plays of their own. A year ago, the Redskins line accounted for nine sacks the entire season and didn’t force a single fumble. Through four games this year, Washington linemen have 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

Bright spots:

> Outside linebackers — The early successes of Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo should give Redskins fans reasons to smile for years to come. The pair is on pace to tally 24 sacks this season.

Despite missing out on offseason instruction due to the lockout, Kerrigan has quickly adapted to the linebacker spot in the 3-4. He made his presence known with an interception return for a touchdown in the season-opener. He also has notched 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles; no one in the NFL has forced more.

Rushing the edge from the opposite side, Orakpo is tied for 12th in the league with 3.5 sacks. The addition of Kerrigan means teams can no longer focus their efforts on Orakpo. Thus far, they’re both benefiting.

> New acquisitions — The Redskins added five new starters on defense and the results suggest they were pretty wise additions. Up front, Barry Cofield has shown no problems adjusting to the nose tackle position, and Stephen Bowen, in his first season as a full-time starter, has also represented a significant upgrade. Free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe is third among starters with 13 unassisted tackles.

Cornerback Josh Wilson has shown good coverage skills, but he’s still searching for his interception and can afford to improve tackling. He leads the team with four defended passes, which ties him for 16th in the league.

> Familiarity with 3-4 — The returning players are all improved in their second year in Haslett’s system. They’re moving more instinctually and look more natural executing the coach’s playcalls. Insider linebacker Rocky McIntosh leads the team with 27 tackles and seems to be around the ball more than a season ago. Adam Carriker is more of a force, too, and his 2.5 sacks are 2.5 more than he had a year ago.

Areas of concern:

> Defensive line depth — This hasn’t been a big issue through four games, as the Redskins have comfortably rotated in Kedric Golston and rookie Chris Neild. But if just one lineman goes down, this could quickly become a problem area. Neild, who had 1.5 sacks in the season-opener, has seen increasing amounts of action and is committing fewer mental mistakes.

> Safeties tandem —
LaRon Landry missed the first two games because of a sore hamstring, and Atogwe has been slowed by a hamstring injury he suffered in training camp. Coaches hope both return healthier after the bye week and can be as dominant in the defensive backfield as they’d hoped in the offseason.

> Interceptions — Ideally, the pressure on the quarterback will result in more interceptions. The Redskins have only three through four games — none from their two starting cornerbacks and none from any safeties.

What we know so far:

The Redskins’ defense has kept the team in games, and there’s no way Washington would be 3-1 if the team’s defense hadn’t performed so well.

Criticized at times for being too aggressive — the zero-blitz on third-and-21 at Dallas comes to mind — the Redskins feel comfortable with their personnel to take risks. Coaches figure the rewards are worth it. And more often than not, they have been.

Redskins fans for years enjoyed a top-10 caliber defense. But that was usually a unit that limited opponents’ yards. Haslett’s unit might give up some yards, but it’s intent on causing turnovers, scoring touchdowns and making big plays.

They’ve been doing that thus far — and doing it while a couple key playmakers have been relatively quiet. A healthy Landry and Atogwe should make for a more dynamic secondary and give Haslett more blitz options in the final 12 games. Pro Bowl cornerback DeAngelo Hall is still looking for his first interception, as well.

They’ve been fortunate to avoid injuries, but depth is a concern everywhere. The Redskins saw the drop-off with Landry sidelined and Reed Doughty starting in his place. There’s a big dip between several starters and second-stringers.

Coach Mike Shanahan called the defenses Week 4 performance against St. Louis the best he’d seen in 20 games in Washington. Granted it came against one of the league’s worst-ranked offenses, but it’s also something Shanahan and Haslett hope to see a lot more of when the team returns from the bye.

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

A review of the best and worst performances by the Washington Redskins‘ defense and some observations after rewatching the TV broadcast of their 18-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

GAME BALLS

CB Josh Wilson:Wilson finally showed why the Redskins were compelled to sign him to a three-year, $13.5 million free-agent contract. He was exceptional in coverage and was credited with four pass breakups. He attributed the breakout game to his expanded knowledge of the defense. He said this was the first game in which he was capable of making some of the defensive calls. Wilson also was more confident challenging routes in front of the safety tandem of LaRon Landry and Oshiomogho Atogwe, he said.

He broke up two passes intended for TE Jason Witten. On the first, he read that Dallas QB Tony Romo was throwing short to his side, so he came off his receiver, who was running deep, and drove on the route in the flat. Wilson in the second half also broke up a low fade intended for TE Martellus Bennett in the end zone. The next step for Wilson is turning some of those pass breakups into interceptions, but this was a big step forward.

DE Stephen Bowen: Against his former team, Bowen stood out on a defensive line that played well as a whole. When the starting inside linebackers are Washington’s two leading tacklers, as they were Monday night, it’s an indication the entire line did its job of keeping offensive linemen off them.

Bowen consistently anchored at the line of scrimmage and even penetrated the backfield on a few runs. He ignited the Redskins‘ goal-line stand in the fourth quarter by getting off the ball lower than LG Bill Nagy on first down from the 2-yard line. He pushed Nagy into the backfield and stopped a draw for a 3-yard loss. On Dallas’ next series, he got to LT Doug Free’s play-side shoulder on a run to the right, chased the play from behind and limited RB Tashard Choice to 1 yard. On the down side, Bowen didn’t consistently generate significant pressure when he rushed the passer during nickel situations.

SS LaRon Landry: Landry positively impacted several plays, which is typical for him. But considering he hadn’t fully participated in a practice since November, his game was extremely impressive. His wipeout hit of WR Laurent Robinson in the first half will be on his retirement highlight reel. Landry has elite closing speed, and his read of the play’s direction was spot on. He also deserves credit for making a legal hit. He led with his shoulder, driving it into Robinson’s chest. There was no chance for a personal foul.

Landry gave the Redskins‘ offense a golden scoring opportunity by forcing a fumble in the first quarter. His speed and power made the play. He rallied to the ball out of his blitz and, after CB Kevin Barnes missed tackling WR Kevin Ogletree, jarred the ball loose with a strong form tackle.

Landry did OK helping to cover TE Jason Witten, although he did surrender an 18-yard gain to Witten on an intermediate in route. Landry’s conditioning was a negative in the second half, and he had to receive intravenous fluids at one point, but that will improve as he returns to football shape.

NT Chris Neild: More props here to the defensive line. Neild didn’t dramtically change the game, but he played his role very well. His tireless effort is undeniable. One first-quarter play stood out. Dallas ran a screen pass to TE Martellus Bennett on the left. Cowboys C Phil Costa blocked Neild to the ground 4 yards in the backfield, but Neild got up and sprinted 10 yards back into the play and made the tackle. Later, on first-and-10 early in the third quarter, Neild stood up LG Bill Nagy at the line of scrimmage, and RB DeMarco Murray ran directly into Nagy’s back. The result: no gain. Neild continues to improve his technique and leverage, and that is allowing NT Barry Cofield to sit out some first- and second-down snaps and stay fresh for nickel situations.

GASSERS

CB DeAngelo Hall: For the second straight week, one gigantic negative play taints what otherwise was a good game by Hall. Redskins coaches put him in a challenging position by isolating him on WR Dez Bryant on third-and-21 late in the game, and the Pro Bowler did not make the necessary play. Hall on Wednesday admitted that he misplayed the improvised route that Bryant ran after Dallas picked up the Redskins‘ eight-man blitz and QB Tony Romo waived Bryant downfield. Hall turned the wrong way to the sideline, and Bryant worked to the open middle of the field. If the Redskins had gotten off the field there, they would have won the game.

OBSERVATIONS

Speaking of the eight-man front/Cover Zero defense, I wrote about that for Wednesday’s paper. Click here for that breakdown.

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