NEW ORLEANS – The Patriots’ win streak continued on Sunday.
New England outlasted the Saints 25-19 within the Superdome on Sunday afternoon off of an incredible first-half efficiency from quarterback Drake Maye to enhance to 4-2 on the season.
“None of it was good at present. Give (the Saints) quite a lot of credit score,” head coach Mike Vrabel mentioned. “They competed, they answered. However we prolonged performs and made some large performs down the sector and glimpses of excellent soccer. We’ll have to wash quite a lot of issues, however actually good to get on the street and have the ability to get a win.”
The Patriots proved Sunday that they will beat a nasty crew with a one-dimensional offense. It won’t be really easy sooner or later, nevertheless.
The Patriots’ run sport continues to not solely be non-existent, it’s actively hurting the offense. The Patriots averaged 0.5 EPA per play on passes and -0.38 EPA per play on the bottom.
“In all probability one man away, like at all times,” Vrabel mentioned after the sport. “Had some constructive runs, and we’ll maintain working towards it and maintain working it.”
The Patriots had been in a position to drain the clock with a five-play, 30-yard drive to complete the sport. They received a key problem earlier than the two-minute warning with officers figuring out that vast receiver Kayshon Boutte stayed inbounds on a 21-yard catch, retaining the clock ticking down to 2 minutes. That allowed Maye to kneel on the ball and finish the sport.
Maye, Boutte and vast receiver DeMario Douglas had been stars of the sport.
On the primary play of the sport, the Saints recognized a weak point within the Patriots’ secondary. The Patriots blitzed cornerback Carlton Davis III, leaving security Kyle Dugger on an island in opposition to Saints vast receiver Chris Olave, who beat him for a 53-yard catch. The Patriots then shut down the Saints’ offense and compelled a subject purpose.
The Patriots responded shortly, choosing up a primary down on a completion to Boutte, earlier than Maye hit Douglas on a 53-yard bomb for a landing. Douglas juked Saints security Jonas Sanker to get into the top zone.
The Saints responded with one other subject purpose after a 10-play, 43-yard drive to chop the Patriots’ result in 7-6.
The Patriots scored once more on an unbelievable contested catch from Boutte for a 25-yard landing. That was despite an atrocious penalty referred to as by the officers on vast receiver Stefon Diggs for cross interference on the opposite facet of the sector when Maye accomplished a 61-yard landing to Douglas. A flag was thrown when the Patriots had been already celebrating within the nook of the top zone, negating the rating.
The Saints lower the Patriots’ result in 14-13 on a 1-yard landing run from “joker” Taysom Hill. The Saints drove simply 60 yards on 11 performs after rookie kicker Andy Borregales was penalized for failing to kick the ball into the touchdown zone.
The Patriots turned the ball over on downs on their ensuing drive once they went for it on fourth-and-7 from the Saints’ 39-yard line. A botched snap from heart Garrett Bradbury, recovered by Maye, gave the Saints the ball on the Patriots’ 47-yard line. The Saints had been held to a subject purpose however took a 16-14 lead.
Maye completed the half with an ideal passer score and hit Boutte for an additional landing 29 yards down the sector. Maye scored on a two-point conversion to provide the Patriots a 22-16 lead heading into the half.
The Patriots elevated their result in 25-16 within the second half when Borregales hit a 24-yard subject purpose. Points within the purple zone and within the working sport brought about the Patriots to accept the sector purpose.
The 2 groups then exchanged punts for the primary time all sport.
Cornerback Marcus Jones, who had a key cross breakup on the earlier drive, pressured a 54-yard subject purpose with a third-down sack on the Saints’ subsequent scoring alternative. The kick from Blake Grupe was good, slicing the Patriots’ result in 25-19.
BEST
QB Drake Maye: Maye had a near-perfect first half and completed 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns.
WR Kayshon Boutte: Welcome again to Louisiana, Kayshon Boutte. The LSU product and Louisiana native caught 5 passes for 93 yards with two touchdowns.
WR DeMario Douglas: The diminutive slot receiver ought to have completed Sunday’s sport with two touchdowns, however refs bizarrely referred to as again a 61-yard rating for a phantom cross interference penalty on Diggs. Nonetheless, Douglas was working nice after the catch and caught three passes for 71 yards with a landing.
WORST
S Kyle Dugger: Dugger led up a 53-yard cross on the primary play of the sport to Olave. The playcall from interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr can be questioned, since he blitzed Davis, leaving Dugger, filling in for injured security Jaylinn Hawkins, on an island.
NFL officers: The offensive cross interference penalty was not solely a horrible name, nevertheless it was additionally extremely late, calling into query what they noticed and why they threw the flag. Additionally they badly missed an apparent defensive cross interference penalty on a deep ball to Mack Hollins after flagging Diggs on a ticky-tack offensive cross interference on the earlier play.
C Garrett Bradbury: A foul snap on fourth down brought about the Patriots to show the ball over on downs on fourth down within the second quarter.
WHAT WE LEARNED
• Vast receiver Efton Chism made his NFL debut however didn’t see any offensive snaps. He was used as a kick returner, punt returner and on particular groups.
• Cornerback Christian Gonzalez regarded no worse for put on after being restricted this week along with his hamstring damage. He went wire-to-wire.
• When Harold Landry briefly went down with an damage, the Patriots used defensive sort out Milton Williams as an edge defender somewhat than utilizing a backup outdoors linebacker with Anfernee Jennings and Keion White each out with accidents.
• Marcus Jones briefly acquired shaken up however performed a really strong sport with a key cross breakup and sack.
• Give Christian Elliss credit score for an impactful play, punching out a ball, resulting in a Patriots fumble restoration halfway by the fourth quarter. Elliss, Jack Gibbens, Jahlani Tavai and Marte Mapu all noticed snaps subsequent to Robert Spillane.
• The Patriots maintain acknowledging they should repair their run sport. That continues to be the case. They averaged simply 2.8 yards per sport on the bottom and may’t spring a giant play for the lifetime of them.
• The Patriots at the moment are on a three-game successful streak. If the season ended at present, they’d maintain a wild-card spot within the playoffs.
• Vrabel gave the whole crew sport balls within the locker room after the win.
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