Who stood out, struggled in win over Saints
New England Patriots
Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas each had sturdy showings in New Orleans.
For the primary time since 2022, the Patriots have received three video games in a row.
Recent off of an upset victory over the Payments in Week 5, Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye, and the Patriots didn’t succumb to the dreaded “entice recreation” — beating the New Orleans Saints within the Superdome, 25-19.
It was one other standout efficiency from Maye on the highway. Nevertheless it wasn’t an ideal displaying for New England, particularly within the run recreation.
Right here’s a take a look at who stood out and who faltered Sunday afternoon in “The Huge Straightforward.”
STOCK UP
Drake Maye
At which level does Maye turn out to be exempt from this train?
As a result of the 23-year-old quarterback is doing way over taking that sought-after “second-year leap” within the NFL ranks. Reasonably, he’s enjoying like one of many top-five greatest QBs within the recreation to date this season.
If final week was Maye’s coming-out get together as he out-dueled Josh Allen and the Payments, this efficiency cemented that Maye’s ascension isn’t a fluke as he continues to raise a Patriots group on the rise.
Maye was as soon as once more environment friendly and impactful because the conductor of New England’s offense — finishing 18 of 26 passes for 261 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions whereas additionally speeding for 28 yards.
An inexpensive expectation for this season was for Maye to restrict the turnovers and showcase indicators that he might thrive in Josh McDaniels’ offense in due time.
He’s checked off each these containers to date this season — with the younger QB decisive, mistake-free, and prepared to uncork the ball down the sphere (10 yards per try on Sunday).
In accordance with NFL+, Maye has joined Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino as the one QBs aged 23 or youthful who’ve recorded over 200 move yards and a 100+ passer ranking in 5 consecutive video games.
It positive appears to be like just like the Patriots have “The Man.”
Kayshon Boutte
Boutte had fairly the homecoming in his return to New Orleans — with the Louisiana native reeling in 5 catches on 5 targets for 93 yards and two touchdowns.
As soon as tabbed as a possible offseason commerce chip, Boutte deserves loads of credit score for creating right into a poised NFL wideout and a reliable goal for Maye.
The 5-foot-11 wideout has turn out to be adept at preventing by contact and reeling in contested catches — whereas additionally placing the ultimate nail within the coffin for New Orleans with a clutch 21-yard snag on a Third-and-11 to ice the sport within the fourth quarter.
Of Boutte’s 18 catches this season, 16 have resulted in a primary down.
DeMario Douglas
After a formidable coaching camp, it appeared as if Douglas was on the skin trying in at common reps this fall after seeing his snap depend dwindle.
Getting into Sunday’s matchup, Douglas had solely recorded seven catches for 30 yards and one landing this season.
However the shifty wideout broke by in opposition to the Saints, ending the afternoon with three catches for 71 yards and a landing.
Douglas’ first-quarter landing — a 53-yard rating off a howitzer of a throw from Maye — was capped off with a sick route from Douglas that had Saints security Jonas Sanker spinning his head round because the wideout waltzed into the tip zone.
Douglas additionally ought to have had two touchdowns and over 100 receiving yards on the afternoon — however we’ll get to that shortly.
Christian Elliss
It hasn’t been the strongest season for New England’s skinny linebacker corps.
However Elliss — who had seen his snap depend take successful in favor of gamers like Jack Gibbens and Jahlani Tavai — delivered in crunch time.
With the Saints down by six factors and approaching midfield within the fourth quarter, Spencer Rattler hit Juwan Johnson over the center for what would have been an important first down that pushed the ball into New England territory.
As an alternative, Elliss punched the ball out of Johnson’s grasp as he hit the turf, permitting Craig Woodson to recuperate the fumble for the turnover.
Not solely did Elliss’ pressured fumble snuff out what was trying like one other promising Saints drive, however it allowed Maye and Co. to ultimately bleed the clock en path to the win.
Marcus Jones
Maye has been New England’s prime star this season, however Jones is making it a behavior of producing profitable performs every week.
The veteran cornerback was at once more on Sunday in opposition to New Orleans, recording three move breakups to associate with a sack.
For all of the speak of Jones’ measurement being a determinant, the slot nook continues to shift momentum for the Patriots — be it on particular groups or within the secondary.
STOCK DOWN
Kyle Dugger
Beginning on Sunday rather than the injured Jaylinn Hawkins, Dugger had a chief alternative to both ingratiate himself with New England’s coaches or elevate his commerce worth forward of subsequent month’s deadline.
However Dugger was burned in protection proper off the bat Sunday, as Saints wideout Chris Olave torched him for a 53-yard pickup on New Orleans’ first drive of the day.
You might make the case that interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr made a poor playcall, choosing a nook blitz that left Dugger in protection in opposition to the speedy Olave. Nonetheless, Sunday was the most recent setback in what’s trying like a misplaced season for Dugger.
New England’s operating backs
Nearly as good as Maye has been, New England goes to be enjoying with fireplace if its offense continues to be so one-dimensional transferring ahead.
New England’s run recreation — which was anticipated to be a power of this squad coming into this season — was brutal as soon as once more on Sunday.
Getting into Sunday’s recreation ranked twenty eighth in yards per try (3.75), the Patriots as soon as once more did not each drain the clock and put themselves in favorable Third-and-short conditions, given their struggles within the trenches.
Maye was New England’s main rusher with 28 yards, with Rhamondre Stevenson (simply 18 yards on simply 13 carries) and TreVeyon Henderson (27 yards on 9 carries) routinely caught within the mud.
Maye has developed a knack for changing on crucial third-down performs, however that offensive strategy isn’t precisely sustainable.
Garrett Bradbury
New England’s offensive line has largely been encouraging this season, particularly when in comparison with the dysfunction drawn from the previous couple of seasons.
However the Patriots’ veteran heart in Bradbury had a brutal miscue on Sunday — as a botched snap between him and Maye led to New England turning the ball over on fourth down within the second quarter.
At one level, it seemed as if that error was going to shift momentum in favor of the house group — as New Orleans took a 16-14 lead on its subsequent drive after a discipline objective from Blake Grupe.
The Refs
Are referee Adrian Hill and his officiating crew a part of the Patriots? After all not.
Do they warrant a spot on a Patriots inventory watch? Most likely not.
However Hill and his crew had been so unfathomably brutal on Sunday that I’d be remiss to not name them out for one of many extra poorly-officiated video games in latest reminiscence.
There was the phantom offensive move interference name on Stefon Diggs that worn out a 61-yard landing from Douglas — with the flag solely hitting the turf after New England’s special-teams squad had been out for the additional level.
There’s the apparent make-up name on that very same drive that transformed a failed third-down play for New England right into a 21-yard pickup through a DPI ruling.
And there’s Diggs getting one other offensive move interference flag that took away a 52-yard catch on a Third-and-17 play within the fourth quarter.
Ugly stuff throughout from the blokes in stripes on Sunday.
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