The New England Patriots took on the New Orleans Saints in an inter-conference matchup on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Right away it seemed apparent that it would be a struggle to win the game against a scrappy Saints defense.
The rookie (and savior) Mac Jones completed 30/51 passes for 270 yards. This included one touchdown to receiver Kendrick Bourne, who made a wonderful catch to grab 6 points. Sadly, Mac threw THREE interceptions in a game where pressure was constant all day long.
Kendrick Bourne falls into the end zone after making a contested catch/via patspulpit.com
The Patriots continued to miss RT Trent Brown, as he recovers from his calf injury he sustained in the first quarter of Week 1's matchup against Miami. Mac was hurried often and was sometimes forced into throwing bad passes just to get the ball out.
The Patriots also missed out on pass catching back James White, who sustained a hip injury and was immediately carted off the field in the first quarter. There is no immediate timetable but it is estimated that he will miss a good portion, if not the rest of the season.
James White was carted off the field early vs the Saints on Sunday/via Boston.com
Saints linebacker Demario Davis was all over the field as he recorded 8 combined tackles, two of which were for loss, and defended against 2 passes. The Saints defense looked stellar against a New England team that is still struggling to find their identity.
The Patriots will look to bounce back against the NFL's defending champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many will be watching in what might be the most anticipated regular season game of all time: Tom Brady's return to Foxboro.