6 rings: patriots vs. saints preview
After two consecutive road contests, the Patriots return home this Sunday for a Week 5 matchup against the 2-2 New Orleans Saints.
While both of these teams are struggling just four weeks into the long NFL season, each roster has plenty of dynamic, talented players that can swing any given game in their team’s favor. They also have others entering critical crossroads in their careers.
Here are 10 to watch this weekend at Gillette Stadium:
10 - LB Josh Uche, Patriots
The Patriots got some bad news this week on the defensive side of the football. Not only is rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez likely out for the season due to a torn labrum, but their best defensive player, linebacker Matthew Judon, will also reportedly be out “indefinitely” with a torn right biceps muscle that he suffered in last Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. The four-time Pro Bowler had surgery on Wednesday.
“Judon is a staple for this organization,” Patriots linebacker Josh Uche said this week when asked about the loss of his teammate. “That’s my brother, one of my close friends… it affects us. The morale, the energy and stuff, but it’s all about the next man up.”
That next man up is, in fact, Uche, who had his best NFL season in 2022 with highs in sacks (11.5), tackles (27), and forced fumbles (2). He did this, however, with Judon on the other side.
How Uche responds to being the No. 1 pass rusher moving forward will not only be consequential to the remainder of New England’s 2023 season, but also to the rest of his career. The third-year pro is in the midst of a contract year and could get a hefty sum of money coming his way next offseason.
9 - LT Trevor Penning, Patriots and 8 - RT Ryan Ramczyk, Saints
Who Uche faces off against on Sunday will be quite the challenge, as Saints bookend tackles Trevor Penning and Ryan Ramczyk are starting to find their groove.
Ramczyk, New Orleans’ right tackle, has been with the franchise since 2017 and has started every game (89) he’s played in. The former Wisconsin Badger was an first-team All-Pro in 2019 and also a second-team All-Pro in both 2018 and 2020. Ramczyk has been a bit more vulnerable in 2023, allowing three sacks in four games.
On the other side is Trevor Penning, who the Saints took out of Northern Iowa with the 19th overall pick in the 2022 Draft. In just his second season, Penning has been one of just a few bright spots on the New Orleans offense in 2023. Last week against Tampa Bay, the left tackle allowed just two pressures on 47 snaps in pass protection and was also sensational in the run game. When running behind Penning’s left side last week, the Saints averaged 5.3 yards per carry (h/t Saints Wire).
If the Patriots want to muddy the waters this weekend defensively, they’ll first have to get through these two.
7 - CB J.C. Jackson, Patriots
New England traded for old friend J.C. Jackson this week. The cornerback, who earned All-Pro honors with the Patriots in 2021, had been with the Chargers after signing five-year, $82.5 million contract last Spring, but wasn’t playing up to standards and was essentially on the trade block in L.A. He’s now back in Foxborough.
In a perfect world, Jackson would sit this weekend, get himself re-acclimated to the team and the defense, and then enter the lineup next Sunday against the Raiders. But this isn’t a perfect world.
One of the reasons why they made the move was to help bolster their secondary following the loss of Christian Gonzalez. As mentioned above, the rookie cornerback suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder last weekend in Dallas and he’ll have surgery “soon” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, likely ending his season.
This left the Patriots with just Myles Bryant and Shaun Wade at boundary cornerback against the Cowboys, and was part of the (many) problems that resulted in a 38-3 defeat.
Jackson was at practice with the club on Thursday, and the warrant that was out for his arrest was also reportedly lifted following an appearance in court upon his arrival to Massachsetts this week. The cornerback paid a fine and will have to complete an online course in order to have his charges dismissed. The Sun Chronicle reported that he was accused of driving about 100 mph on Route 1 in South Attleboro back in 2021.
Jackson been clear of the injury report so far this week, so by all accounts, he’ll be on the field for the Patriots on Sunday. Certainly one to watch.
6 - CB Marshon Lattimore, Saints
In the opposing secondary, led by position coach Marcus Robertson and head coach Dennis Allen (who was New Orleans’ secondary coach when they won Super Bowl XLIV), in cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
Lattimore has long been one of the top corners in the NFL, and in 2022 is third in the NFL in passes defensed (six) through four weeks.
The Patriots will need all eyes on Lattimore as they attempt to get their passing offense back on track this week. You should watch him too.
5 - T Trent Brown, Patriots
With all of the bad that’s come with the Patriots’ offensive in 2023, Trent Brown has actually has been pretty good. New England’s left tackle has allowed just one sack so far this season and his PFF grade of 84.2 is second among all his position in the NFL through four weeks.
The rest of his line? Not great.
The Patriots struggled against Dallas last Sunday, allowing 18 pressures, 2 sacks, were 30th in pass blocking efficiency according to PFF.
With Brown being, really, the one positive as the rest of his line has battled both injuries and poor play, he’ll have to step up on Sunday in order to protect Mac Jones from this Saints defensive front.
4 - RB Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson has to be better.
Coming off of a season where he ran for 1,000 yards and caught the most passes the Patriots offense, the thought was that the running back would pick up right where he left off in Bill O’Brien’s offense.
That hasn’t been the case at all.
The third-year player out of Oklahoma has rushed for just 164 yards in four games and has added just 12 catches for 87 yards through the air. Last week, reports surfaced that spell back Ezekiel Elliott could potentially start seeing “starter reps” in the Patriots’ offense.
Stevenson needs to get himself back on track this week in order to help this stagnant offense have success.
3 - RB Alvin Kamara, Saints
Speaking of running backs, Alvin Kamara returned to the field for the Saints last weekend after serving a three-game suspension to start the season.
The star rushed for 51 yards on 11 attempts against the Buccaneers and also had 13 (!!) receptions for 33 yards in his return to the field last Sunday.
While he’s not the Alvin Kamara of old, he’s New Orleans’ most dynamic playmaker on a well below-average offense. He garners watching.
2 - DE Cameron Jordan, Saints
During Bill Belichick’s Wednesday monologue this week, his most poignant compliments were directed towards Saints defensie end Cameron Jordan:
“It’s a good defensive line, very experienced,” the Patriots’ head coach explained. “Jordan is one of the players I have the most respect for in the league. He’s been a great player for a long time, very durable, whatever it was – 177 straight games he played. This guy shows up every week and plays well, run, pass, situational football, really smart player. This guy’s a great player.”
Jordan is 34 years old yet he hasn’t missed a beat. He’s made the Pro Bowl in each of the last seven seasons, was a second-team All-Pro as recently as 2019, and is coming off of an 8.5 sack season in 2022.
As Belichick said, he’s a great player, and he’ll be No. 1 on New England’s radar on Sunday.
1 - QB Mac Jones, Patriots
Speaking of Sunday, this one in Foxborough is all about Mac Jones.
Jones had his worst game as a Patriot, by far, last weekend in Dallas. He turned the ball over three times and was benched for backup Bailey Zappe during the 38-3 defeat.
“I think the biggest thing is to take it play-by-play,” Jones said this week about bouncing back strong. “Each play has a life of it's own. You play it one play at a time, and that's when you can stack plays up really well, including if you have to throw the ball away, throw it away. So, there's a lot of things that go into it. The most important thing that I've noticed is just sticking to my process, trying to identify 'what are maybe one or two things I can do pre-snap, and trying to play fast and play free.”
‘Fast and free’, with no mistakes* is is exactly how Jones gets back in the good graces of Patriots fans.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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