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FOXBORO - Jason Campbell didn't see Mike Vrabel coming.

Joe Gibbs didn't see what was coming through four quarters of football.

The Washington Redskins didn't see what was coming at them, their worst loss in 46 seasons, inflicted upon them by the seemingly invincible, unbeaten New England Patriots.

Campbell was sacked and stripped three times by Vrabel, the Redskins losing possession of the ball at the Washington 21, New England 45 and Washington 11 yard lines,

The Redskins surrendered 17 points to the Patriots off three turnovers (including an Asante Samuel pass interception in the second quarter), faced a 24-point halftime deficit and absorbed a 45-point loss. "They're very dynamic in everything they do," said Campbell of the Patriots. "They make plays and we didn't have our best game."

Gibbs has been around the NFL for decades and said "I don't know of a weakness that they have. They have great talent, great coaching - they played about as sound as anybody I've seen play. It'll take a lot to stop them."

The Redskins thought they had had enough offensive firepower to at least move the football and challenge the Patriots' defense. Washington didn't.

"That's embarrassing," said Redskin running back Ladell Betts. "They're probably laughing at us right now."

Campbell completed 21 passes (just nine in the first half) for 197 yards. Running back Clinton Portis chugged for just 27 yards, Santana Moss caught six passes, but for just 41 yards and Antwaan Randle El caught three passes, for just 43 yards.

And Washington was not going to beat the Patriots without creating takeaways (just one, a fumble by Tom Brady in the second quarter) or converting third downs (just 2-for-12).

"I thought that we were going to play better all the way around, specialty teams, defense too," added Gibbs, the Patriots piling up 486 yards of offense and a single game record 34 first downs. "From our standpoint, we couldn't get anything going. I thought that we could make some plays."

Campbell had thrown just five TD passes through six games this season and the Redskins had scored just 14 TD's. Washington didn't expect to be shut down by the Patriots or their own inefficiencies to such an extent.

"I thought that we matched up well with them, the way that our offense is capable of playing," said Washington center Casey Rabach, "We didn't show up enough on the field. They're going to go 16-0 with that offense."

The Redskins put an imprimatur on their own demise in the second quarter, losing the ball on turnovers on three consecutive series - a Vrabel six-yard sack, forced fumble and Ty Warren recovery to set up a Stephen GotkowskI 36-yard field goal; Samuel making his fourth pass interception of the season at the Patriots' 40-yard line; then Vrabel having another four-yard sack of Campbell, a forced fumble and Warren recovering again -- the result being Randy Moss' 11th TD reception of the season. "I didn't see him (Vrabel) coming, I was looking downfield," said the 6-foot-5 Campbell, in his third NFL season, but first as a starting QB of the sacks and strips. "I have to find a way to protect the ball better."

In response, New England had touchdown drives of 90, 67 and 73 yards during the first half and made a mockery of the Redskins when Campbell was sacked (a loss of 11 yards) and stripped by Vrabel again in the third quarter, this time Roosevelt Colvin recovering the ball and scoring from 11 yards out.

"New England's defense plays very hard, they try to make us re-route," said Campbell of the Redskin receivers being unable to find space. "They're (the Patriots) always in the right place at the right time."

Being unable to convert third downs (2-for-8 in the first half) also figured significantly in Washington often being in long yardage situations. "We didn't do that and we put ourselves in a bad situation offensively."

Or as Betts added of those negative factors - "We didn't stop them either, they were playing football." Even to the extent of the Patriots' converting a fourth down play in the fourth quarter and reserve QB Matt Cassell scoring a TD. "At this level no one is going to give you anything," added Campbell, "you have to earn it."

And the Patriots certainly earned the attention and respect of the Redskins.