The New Orleans Saints (1-4) finally got in the win column last week. Now they host the New England Patriots (3-2) on Sunday at Caesars Superdome. Here are four factors it will take for Saints to win their second straight game.
Ride the momentum
The Saints' victory last Sunday was the team’s first since December. While it wasn’t a perfect game for the Saints, they did enough to give head coach Kellen and quarterback Spencer Rattler their first wins. The Dome was finally rocking again. Now it’s up to the Saints to keep it that way by doing the things they did last week. Forcing five turnovers won’t be the norm, but just winning the turnover battle sure increases their chances of winning the game. The Patriots are second in the leagues in fumbles lost (five), and the Saints are second in fumbles recovered (five). So there is opportunity there.
Contain Maye and Diggs
Saints fans know Stefon Diggs all too well. Diggs delivered the gut-wrenching Minnesota Miracle for the Vikings against the Saints in the playoffs in the 2017 season. Now Diggs is in his first season with the Patriots (his third team since leaving Minnesota) and is starting to develop some chemistry with second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Diggs has yet to score a touchdown this season, but he’s totaled 16 catches for 247 yards the past two weeks. Maye is fifth in the league in passing yards while completing 73.9% of his passes with just two interceptions. This will be the best QB-WR duo the Saints have faced this season.
Better red-zone efficiency
The Saints went 0 for 3 in the red zone last week. The only offensive touchdown was the 87-yard bomb from Rattler to Rashid Shaheed. The red-zone woes didn’t come back to bite them because the defense carried them. But the Saints are scoring touchdowns at just 41.2% in the red zone, which ranks 29th in the league. Making matters even worse is the inconsistency of the field goal unit. Blake Grupe is converting on just 66.7% of his field goals (worst in the NFL in a league where the average is 83%). That’s far too many empty possessions for a team whose margin for error is already paper thin.
Battle in the trenches
This game, like pretty much every game, will be decided up front. Rattler has done a splendid job avoiding sacks and keeping the offense out of unfavorable positions. His offensive line will get another stiff test this week, especially in the interior with Patriots defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. Those two will challenge rookie guard Torricelli Simpkins. On the other side of the ball, pay attention to how the Patriots tackles hold up against the Saints’ edge rushers. One of the best matchups will be former LSU standout Will Campbell (zero sacks allowed since Week 1) vs. Carl Granderson (4½ sacks).