New England Patriots: 5 observations from romping of the Redskins

4. Julian Edelman is one tough cookie

New England Patriots veteran wide receiver Julian Edelman had his most productive game of the season on Sunday, showing the toughness he has come to be defined by.

Battling an apparent rib injury, Edelman battled through to haul in 8 receptions for 110 yards and 1 touchdown. One of those receptions was this 31-yard catch and run that set the team up in great scoring position.

With the team losing Phillip Dorsett early in the game due to a hamstring injury, the gutsy performance by Julian Edelman really got the offense going and set the tune in the second half for the team offensively.

In all, the adjustment the coaches and players made in the second half can be attributed to the culture of the team and how practice and preparation pays off.

"“I mean, there’s a standard. People expect you to go out and work hard, practice hard, play hard and if you do those things good things happen,” Edelman said following the game, via Patriots.com. “That’s something we try to emphasize here. We go out and practice each week, and when we have good weeks of practice it usually carries over in a game.”"

It took a while, actually it took an entire half, but the New England Patriots offense got it together and put the game away. Of course, they were led by that Tom Brady and Julian Edelman connection.