The Patriots’ next test? Not playing down to the Saints.

Welcome to Season 14, Episode 6 of the Unconventional Preview, a severe but lighthearted, nostalgia-tinted have a look at the Patriots’ weekly matchup . . .

Final week, the Patriots’ difficult process was to show they might measure as much as the Buffalo Bills, the NFL’s last undefeated team, on the road, on “Sunday Evening Soccer,” in prime time and beneath the microscope.

They did so in a means so fulfilling, so satisfying, that quarterback Drake Maye is now the talk of the NFL, and the Patriots beneath Mike Vrabel are presumed to be a crew to be reckoned with for the primary time in a half-decade.

However the checks for an upstart and would-be contender don’t finish, they merely change. And so the Patriots’ check this week is that this: Can they deal with prosperity, and never play right down to the extent of a lesser opponent?

The Patriots journey to New Orleans to face the Saints, who’re coming off their first win of the season (and first of quarterback Spencer Rattler’s profession), a 26-14 victory over the Giants final Sunday. Below rookie coach Kellen Moore, the Saints are usually not a very good soccer crew, rating twenty seventh within the league in factors scored (18.4 per recreation) and twenty fourth in factors allowed (27.0 per recreation).

However they’re coming off that win, and it must be famous that they performed the Payments robust two weeks in the past, trailing simply, 21-19, halfway via the fourth quarter, earlier than errors and Josh Allen obtained the most effective of them.

Beating the most effective groups final Sunday was a welcome signal of development for the Patriots. Following up that stirring win by caring for enterprise towards one of many worst groups could be, too.

Kick it off, Borregales, and let’s get this factor began . . .

Three gamers price watching apart from the quarterbacks

Christian Gonzalez: The Patriots’ good and regular defensive efficiency towards the Payments — total and individually — obtained misplaced a bit in all of the discuss Maye and Stefon Diggs, and that’s comprehensible to a level.

However holding Allen and the Payments’ offense, which got here in averaging 33.3 factors per recreation, to simply 20 is spectacular in its personal proper. Marcus Jones, a small man with a knack for enormous performs, had the lone interception towards Allen, however Gonzalez performed about in addition to a cornerback can late within the recreation, particularly on successive performs within the ultimate minutes.

With rather less than three left, the Patriots led, 20-17, however the Payments had marched deep into New England territory in pursuit of the go-ahead and certain successful landing. However Allen made a mistake — he went at Gonzalez twice, and misplaced each occasions.

On second and 10 on the Patriots’ 27, Allen fired excessive and deep to Keon Coleman, who caught the ball however was bodily maneuvered out of the again of the tip zone by Gonzalez.

It was an ideal learn and ideal protection by Gonzalez, and on third and 10, he made one other flawless play, lunging on the proper time to bust up a go over the center supposed for Khalil Shakir, forcing the Payments to accept a tying discipline purpose.

That was 2001 Ty Regulation/2014 Darrelle Revis-caliber stuff from Gonzalez, who was enjoying simply his second recreation of the season after struggling a hamstring damage in camp. Are we certain he’s not from Aliquippa, Pa., too?

Gonzalez was limited in practice midweek, his hamstring listed as the rationale on the damage report. Presuming that was simply precautionary, he’ll seemingly take the Chris Olave project on Sunday, with Jones or Carlton Davis coping with the speedy Rashid Shaheed.

Kool-Support McKinstry: The Saints’ victory over the Giants bears some similarity to the Patriots’ irritating Week 3 loss to the Steelers.

The Giants, with rookie Jaxson Dart making his second begin at quarterback, dedicated 5 turnovers in defeat, simply because the Patriots did in a recreation they need to have received towards the Steelers.

McKinstry, a second-year cornerback out of Alabama, compelled two of these turnovers, choosing off Dart on successive possessions within the fourth quarter. McKinstry additionally had three passes defended and 4 tackles, incomes NFC Defensive Participant of the Week honors. The interceptions had been the primary two of his profession.

Oh, and for what it’s price: McKinstry’s actual first identify is Ga’Quincy.

Stefon Diggs: The veteran receiver has had 16 catches on 19 targets for 247 yards over the past two weeks, and his chemistry with Maye is such that it appears like they’ve performed collectively for 5 years relatively than 5 video games. Diggs’s efficiency towards the Payments had many outstanding moments, particulars, and stats. Right here’s yet one more of the latter: His 10 catches on 12 targets got here on simply 30 snaps. He’s not taking up a No. 1 receiver’s workload, not but, however getting him the ball is clearly on the entrance of Maye’s thoughts virtually every time Diggs is on the field. All that’s lacking is his first Patriots landing. This week is nearly as good a time as any for that.

The flashback

The Patriots are 10-6 all time towards the Saints, together with 5-1 in New Orleans . . . however that one loss is relatively memorable, and considerably vital within the transition from one part of the dynasty to a different.

On Nov. 30, 2009, the Saints ripped the Patriots, 38-17, in entrance of a nationwide viewers on “Monday Evening Soccer.” Drew Brees threw for 371 yards and 5 touchdowns whereas ending with an ideal passer score. He accomplished passes of 75, 68, 38, and 33 yards, and the Saints averaged an absurd 9.6 yards per play whereas racking up 480 yards of offense.

New Orleans improved to 11-0 en path to the franchise’s first (and nonetheless lone) Tremendous Bowl win. The Patriots dropped to 7-4 en path to an eventual 33-14 flameout within the AFC wild-card spherical towards the Ravens, a recreation that they trailed, 24-0, on the finish of the primary quarter.

The loss would later be remembered for one of many truest moments of candor throughout Invoice Belichick’s 24 seasons as Patriots coach. It might need even been an epiphany, although we didn’t find out about it till a few years after the actual fact.

Throughout that 2009 season, Belichick grew to become the primary particular person to conform to be miked up for a full season by NFL Movies. The aim was for the two-part “A Soccer Life” on Belichick. Late within the Saints debacle, NFL Movies captured him confiding in Tom Brady concerning the state of the crew.

“We now have no psychological toughness, we are able to’t play the best way we have to play, I simply can’t get them to play the best way they should play on a week-to-week foundation,” mentioned Belichick concerning the hapless Patriots protection, which not had early-dynasty stalwarts Richard Seymour, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, and Mike Vrabel. “It’s so [expletive] irritating.”

Belichick appeared to seek out readability within the loss to the Saints, realizing that the crew’s issues on either side of the ball couldn’t be repaired till the offseason. And restore them he did, drafting Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, and, sure, Aaron Hernandez, whereas clearing out the likes of Adalius Thomas, Shawn Springs, and Derrick Burgess.

The Saints could have crushed the Patriots that Monday night time on the Superdome. However the Patriots discovered a priceless lesson about who they had been then, and who they wanted to develop into in the event that they had been going to win Tremendous Bowls once more within the Brady period.

Grievance of the week

Accidents are an unlucky a part of each season and each participant’s profession at one time or one other. They’re one of many cruelest costs of enjoying the game, and for followers, watching best-laid plans go down in a heap is simply concerning the worst factor about caring a couple of crew.

We all know all of this, in fact, and generally we even acknowledge the staggering cognitive dissonance required to be a soccer fan — to have the ability to witness a participant writhing on the turf, the announcer informing us, generally solemnly, different occasions casually, who the unlucky particular person is who might be having his newly shredded ACL repaired in a number of days.

Then, because the participant is being taken away to his all of a sudden unsure future, the announcer sends it to industrial break to promote some big vehicles, and all of us transfer on, apart from the man who could have simply left his livelihood on the turf.

All of this heavy stuff crossed my thoughts final Sunday night time in the aftermath of Antonio Gibson’s injury within the second quarter of the Patriots’ victory. The veteran operating again suffered a torn ACL when he was clocked whereas returning a kickoff.

It’s a bummer that Gibson obtained damage. The soccer causes are apparent. He’s an outstanding kickoff returner — his 90-yard return for a touchdown in Week 2 towards the Dolphins helped Vrabel earn his first win as Patriots coach.

And Gibson is — or, was — a dependable member of the Patriots’ three-man operating again trio, averaging extra yards per carry (4.2) than Rhamondre Stevenson (3.7) and TreVeyon Henderson (3.8).

The soccer gods are unsparing and undiscerning, however Gibson deserved higher. In his first season with the Patriots final season, he was a mannequin of professionalism in an operation that was typically amateurish. He was contributing to the revival, proper up till he not might. And but there he was, on crutches, his personal soccer future hazy, greeting his teammates coming off the sector Sunday after the franchise’s brightest second since Brady was the quarterback. Gibson might be out of sight on Sundays for the remainder of this season, however he deserves to be saved in thoughts.

Prediction, or Arch Manning is destined to play for the Saints sometime . . .

The Patriots handed their check towards the Payments in spectacular trend. They need to go this subsequent check — avoiding a letdown towards a lesser crew — with relative ease. The Patriots’ protection, which is allowing just 85.6 rushing yards per game and has not allowed a single operating again to achieve 50 yards, will shut down Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller, forcing Rattler to attempt to outduel Maye. He is not going to. Make it three in a row for the Patriots, and dare to daydream concerning the playoffs, as a result of these daydreams have an exquisite probability to develop into actual. Patriots 31, Saints 13.

Chad Finn

Sports activities columnist

Chad Finn is a sports activities columnist for Boston.com. He has been voted Favourite Sports activities Author in Boston within the annual Channel Media Market and Analysis Ballot for the previous 4 years. He additionally writes a weekly sports activities media column for the Globe and contributes to Globe Journal.