LANDOVER, Md. -- When you've caught more passes than any other running back in league history, you want the ball when the game's on the line.
Which explains why fullback Larry Centers was having a hard time immediately after the game shielding the fact that he thought he could have picked up a first down for the Pats on the game-clinching fourth-and-2 pass thrown to Daniel Graham that fell incomplete.
Asked if it's hard to see the ball go elsewhere when he feels he's open, Centers admitted, "The time it's most frustrating is when I'm standing at the (first-down marker) and see the ball go over my head incomplete. If it's complete, no foul. I'm not disappointed at all. But sometimes you've got to know when to take that shot (downfield). I think Tom did a pretty good job for us most of the day. We just had some unfortunate things happen out there and it cost us."
In this case, Centers was available. Not just on the final pass to Graham, but also on an earlier interception that Brady threw downfield intended for David Givens. He did catch three balls for 26 yards and a 7-yard touchdown. And he carried three times for 15 yards. But he clearly can be a bigger weapon in this offense.
"I'm surrounded by playmakers," said Centers. "Let me make that clear. Everybody gets a shot. I'm no different. I've just got to be patient and when plays come my way I have to make them."
Centers also made his presence felt late in the game with a crunching block on Washington's $36-million linebacker Jeremiah Trotter who was lurking around Troy Brown after Brown had been tackled. Centers hit Trotter full force, laying him out and leaving him prone on the field for a few minutes.
He was flagged for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness call that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick protested vehemently.
"Was it a penalty?" Centers was asked.
"Absolutely not," he said. "It was one because they called it. But we're out there playing football. If they want to change it, maybe we need to put flags on."
Trotter, who returned after the hit, said that Centers talked to him after the game.
"He said he wouldn't have done it if he knew it was me," said Trotter. "We both went to Stephen F. Austin. The bad thing is, I believe him. I wasn't completely (knocked out), just a little. I'm still trying to clear the cobwebs."
"We can definitely play better," Centers reflected. "We made some critical mistakes at some of the most inopportune times and it cost us dearly. We're very disappointed about that but (coming back) tells you we have a lot of character on this team. We just have to find a way to build on it. We were just a step away today."
Don't ask him twice
Belichick was brusque when asked why offensive coordinator Charlie Weis called a third-and-4 draw to Centers with 1:09 remaining.
"We were trying to pick up the first down," said a palpably surly Belichick.
Asked why the offense didn't call time-out before the fourth-down play, Belichick said, "We had a pretty good idea of what we wanted there. There was still plenty of time left."
Here and there
Linebacker Tedy Bruschi injured his arm making a tackle during Washington's first drive. His return was deemed probable and he came back for the second series. Wide receiver David Givens had the wind knocked out of him in the second quarter but also returned. Running back Kevin Faulk was shaken up in the second half and did not return. Nor did wide receiver Bethel Johnson who drew a 24-yard pass interference call on Champ Bailey late in the first half but twisted his ankle on the ground . . . Adam Vinatieri missed yesterday from 46 yards. No great sin there, but he missed badly, which is uncharacteristic. FedEx Field must not be his kind of place. He missed two field goals and an extra point in the Pats' preseason game here . . . The penalty-plagued Redskins haven't fixed themselves yet. Despite having officials work their practices last week, they jumped offsides on their first play from scrimmage, then had three false starts on their final drive.
