Week 6 Preview: New England Patriots
- Matt Hylen
- 23 hours ago
- 4 min read
After a stunning and breakthrough victory last week against the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots will look to keep the momentum going against the 1-4 New Orleans Saints. With optimism at an all-time high, it is games like this, in my eyes, that matter when a team is trying to become a legitimate playoff contender. So, with that being said, will the Pats get the job done at the Superdome? Let's talk about it.
Injury Report
First and foremost, here is a look at the injury report for both teams heading into Sunday's matchup:
Patriots:
OUT
RB Antonio Gibson (Knee/IR)
S Jaylinn Hawkins (Hamstring)
LB Anfernee Jennings (Ankle)
Keion White (Elbow)
QUESTIONABLE
CB Christian Gonzalez (Hamstring/Game-time decision)
LB Marte Mapu (Hamstring/neck)
CB Charles Woods (Knee)
LB K'Lavon Chaisson (Knee), DL Joshua Farmer (Ankle), DT Milton Williams (Ankle), DT Christian Barmore (Not Injury Related/Other), and OG Mike Onwenu (Shoulder/Thigh) were all limited earlier, but were full participants in Friday's practice and hold no injury designation.
As for the Saints, here is what their injury report looks like:
OUT
CB Isaac Yiadom (Hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE
RB Alvin Kamara (Ankle)
DT John Ridgeway (Shoulder)
TE Juwan Johnson (Ankle), OT Trevor Penning (Ankle), S Justin Reid (Concussion Protocol), OG Cesar Ruiz (Ankle), DE Chase Young (Calf), OT Dillon Radunz (Toe), and DT Davon Godchaux (Rest) were alll imited in practice earlier in the week but were full participants Friday and hold no injury designation.
My 3 Keys to the Game
To start, the defense cannot let up big plays. QB Spencer Rattler has exceeded expectations thus far and has hit his receivers on some long-yardage plays this season. With New England having a problem with containing big plays, Mike Vrabel and Zak Kuhr have to scheme up a game plan that prevents open receivers downfield. This is especially important due to the fact New England could be without Christian Gonzalez another week as well as not having their starting safety in Jaylinn Hawkins. If Gonzalez plays, which I think he will, Chris Olave should not be a problem, thus allowing New England to play more contain secondary schemes.
Secondly, the pass rush needs to be better. New England has done a phenomenal job at stopping the run this season, but the pass rush has been less than desired. It started off well, but since the Steelers game, it has cooled off far too much. Whether it be disguised blitz schemes or a simple 4-man rush, the Pats have to rattle Rattler and get him outside the pocket at the very least. This D-line has far too much potential to put together sack totals like they have in the last couple of games. I need more from that front and need to see Rattler scrambling outside the pocket on multiple occasions.
Last and perhaps the most important key in my mind, GET DIGGS THE BALL. The chemistry between Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs was absolutely incredible against Buffalo, with Diggs securing his 2nd straight 100+ yard game. Diggs is getting better and better every week, with the ACL becoming less and less of a concern. Maye needs to do exactly what he did last week and make Diggs his first read for the majority of the game. It is very apparent that this offense is at its best when Maye is looking to get Diggs the ball. So if I were Josh McDaniels, I would need to scheme up an offense that gets Drake Maye rolling out to the right, and Diggs finding ways to get open in the intermediate part of the field. Not only will this get the offense moving, but it will open up so many more opportunities for other receivers and for the offense to run the ball. I cannot say this enough, getting Diggs involved, in play-action plays especially, will open up this offense just like it did against Buffalo.
Who Wins?
If the offense can tap into that momentum they created last week, I think they will have no problem against this Saints defense. New Orleans' defense is around the middle of the pack, but so was Buffalo's. Though the Saints will carry over the momentum of their own after winning their first game last week, New England is much more high-powered on the offensive end and disciplined on the defensive end.
I think we could see a closer game in the early stages, but we will see the Pats pull away once the offense finds its groove. If Christian Gonzalez does not play, it will make things a lot more interesting for the Saints, but regardless, I feel a good defensive game coming from an improving New England team.
Final Score Prediction: Patriots defeat the Saints 30-17
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Catch ya next time!
-Matt Hylen