It wasn’t a good game for the Patriots against the New Orleans Saints. Their offense simply couldn’t get the ball moving and it resulted in the Saints’ defense, losing the game 28-13. Despite a late fourth-quarter resurgence where Mac Jones tossed a ball up to Kendrick Bourne for a circus act touchdown, the Pats couldn’t pull off a 15 point comeback after the half. A late touchdown drive capped off by Taysom Hill would seal the win for the Saints.
Reviewing the Game
The Pats’ offense simply couldn’t get out of their own way. Firstly, with Jonnu Smith proving to be more of a detriment than an asset with three crucial drops (one ending in a pick-six), and offensive tackle Justin Herron getting tossed to the ground by Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, a defensive back, the Patriots just never gave themselves a real shot at winning this game. The defense did what they could. I truly don’t have too many complaints about them. Nor do I blame them for the Saints’ final drive. It was simply too little too late, and all of the fingers should be pointed at offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
The play calling was horrific. It has been for quite a handful of recent years. Too often do we see the Patriots at second and long, and McDaniels calls an outside zone run. Or maybe a screen pass to James White (who is now injured) that might get three yards. It’s simply ineffective and predictable. I can see now why McDaniels hasn’t been looked at as a serious head coaching hire since 2018. Simply put, McDaniels isn’t great at his job. Now, I’m not calling him the same as Jason Garrett of the Giants by any means. But what I am saying is that “Mickey Ds” has become stale. It took the Patriots until halfway through the fourth quarter to make anything of this football game because of the poor play calling. Unfortunately, the Patriots couldn’t do anything in the first three and it costed them dearly.
Looking Ahead
As a result, the Patriots fall under .500 and stare at a matchup against the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They roster two of the most familiar faces in Patriot history with all-time legends quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski. Who by the way, have been on an absolute tear to start the season.
The Buccaneers roster is talented. Guys like Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Leonard Fournette pose a serious threat to the Patriots’ thin secondary. Likewise, on the defense, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett will certainly tear apart the Patriots’ offensive line in its current state.
It’s hard to imagine a world where the Patriots can keep up with the Bucs. In the current mesh of the roster plus the un-Belichick-like mistakes that have cursed this team, it’s going to be a long week for both fans and personnel. The media has already started calling this game a blowout. Similarly being stated, Tom Brady will get his revenge is sung by all of the big-time writers.
Maybe Bill Belichick and company will surprise us. This is not the first time the media has touted that the Patriots were done and over with. But even I admit the outlook is bleak for week four in Gillette Stadium. I will see you all on Friday with the preview of Tom Brady’s homecoming.
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