News anchor suggests a dead Tom Brady is only way to beat Pats

For awhile, it certainly seemed that way. With the Patriots moving the ball with relative ease, and the Redskins getting some solid play from Rex Grossman, it took a defensive stand in the end for New England to take care of its business, beating Washington 34-27 at FedEx Field Sunday.


On Washington’s second possession of the game, scrimmaging from their own four-yard line, NE defensive end Andre Carter knocked the ball loose from quarterback Rex Grossman in the end zone. It was recovered by Vince Wilfork for a touchdown to put the Patriots ahead 7-0 with 12:06 to play in the first quarter. The Redskins, however, bounced back in a big way on their next drive, as Grossman hooked up with Donte Stallworth on a 51 yard reception (burning Devin McCourty along the way), setting up the Skins at the Patriots’ 17. After finding Stallworth again on a 3rd down attempt for a first-and-goal from the two, the NE defense stiffened and forced a 24-yard field goal from Graham Gano and a 7-3 score with 6:42 to play in the opening period.


Still, an 11-play, 75 yard drive against the Pats’ defense had to give Grossman and the Redskins confidence, didn’t it?


Not when Tom Brady is at the helm of the Patriots offense.


Fox 5 D.C. news anchor Maureen Umeh, she was technically correct when she suggested it'd have been easier for the Washington Redskins to defeat the New England Patriots if Tom Brady wasn't on the field. Perhaps she took a bit too far though by offering up Brady's untimely demise as the reason for his absence.


I'm throwing blame at sports director Dave Feldman on this one. It's a cardinal rule of television: Whenever someone else says something stupid, ignore it. Act like it never happened. How do you think Mike Tirico manages to get through three hours a week in a booth with Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden?
Feldman could have let it go. Instead, he magnified the gaffe by continuing to talk about it. If he were a football teammate, he'd be Randy Moss.
By the way, newscast faux pas would be improved if each network employed a sound guy to play a sad trombone sound or a record screeching noise whenever an anchor makes a slip. Those always make everything better.