WASHINGTON — Even coming off their bye week, the Redskins are significant underdogs against Tom Brady and the 7-0 New England Patriots.

Washington, at 3-4, expects to have the cleanest bill of health its had since perhaps Week 1, and there’s a chance both top receiver DeSean Jackson and top cornerback Chris Culliver return for the Week 9 matchup. Still, Brady is having an MVP-caliber season, and the Patriots are considered one of the top teams in the NFL this season.

Speaking with the Sports Junkies Monday, 106.7 The Fan’s Chris Russell said he has very low expectations for the Redskins in this game, which will be held in Foxborough. Russell said the Redskins almost beating the Atlanta Falcons earlier in the season, despite being eight-point underdogs, was surprising, but a win in New England would be nothing short of miraculous.

“It would be much more of a miracle that what we were thinking and what a lot of people were talking about going into Atlanta,” Russell said. “I actually thought they had a chance to win that game. I don’t think they have a chance to win in Foxborough against Tom Brady.”

Russell says the Patriots are deadly not only because of Brady’s proficiency as a quarterback, but also because they will attack a team in any way that works.

“Even though they don’t run the ball a whole lot…they will run the ball 35 times against the Redskins if the Redskins cannot stop it,” he said. “And the Redskins have not been able to stop the run. And [the Patriots] will pound it because it is completely different from what they normally do each and every week.”

After the Patriots, the Redskins face the New Orleans Saints, who just put up 52 points behind seven touchdowns and more than 500 yards from Drew Brees. Then Washington travels to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers before home games against the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.

Russell pointed out the Saints and Panthers are both quality running teams when they want to be, even though Brees and Cam Newton, respectively, are the teams’ primary weapons. For that reason, among others, he thinks two wins in the next fives games is about all Redskins fans should expect.

“Really, I think if you look at these five games, if the Redskins come out more than 2-3, it’s celebration time,” Russell said. “If they come out 2-3, that’s probably what you would expect. And it is possible, indeed, that they could go 1-4.”

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