The New Orleans Saints couldn't keep the good times rolling in Week 6, and an opportunistic defense that spurred the team to its first win of the season against the Giants was nowhere to be found in a frustrating loss to the Patriots.
The Saints allowed conversions on 6 of 12 third downs, several coming in long-yardage situations, while giving up 333 yards in the 25-19 loss. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 18 of 26 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, including a 21-yard completion to former LSU star Kayshon Boutte on a 3rd and 11 that allowed the Patriots to run out the clock.
Maye also ran for 31 yards on five scrambles, including one that set up a score late in the second quarter.
“Just frustration," Saints head coach Kellen Moore said of the mood in the locker room after the loss. "Obviously there’s opportunities. I think everyone can feel that. We had our opportunities in this game, we just didn’t get it done.”
The Saints offense moved the ball at will for much of the game but again failed to finish off drives for touchdowns, with the exception of a 2-yard TD run by Taysom Hill. The Saints settled for four Blake Grupe field goals, the longest from 54. Quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 26 passes for 227 yards with multiple near misses targeting Chris Olave, who led the Saints with 98 yards on 6 catches. The Saints also committed the game’s only turnover, a lost fumble by Juwan Johnson near midfield as the Saints were driving for a potential go-ahead touchdown. The ball was initially ruled a catch and down by contact, but it was overturned on review -- a similar situation to what the Saints faced in a Week 2 loss to the 49ers. Saints running back Alvin Kamara logged 45 receiving yards on 5 catches and 31 rushing yards on 10 carries, leading all Saints' ball-carriers.
The Saints opened the game with a bang. Rattler connected with Olave for a 53-yard completion down the right sideline. The drive stalled, though, with the Saints settling for a 34-yard Blake Grupe field goal 2:10 into the game. That score gave the Saints their first first-quarter lead of the season.
The Patriots responded with a deep ball of their own. On the third play of the ensuing drive, Maye extended before finding DeMario Douglas for a 53-yard touchdown with the receiver appearing to get lost in coverage.
The Saints offense moved the ball again on the ensuing drive. Rattler used his legs to to pick up a first down with a 9-yard scramble. Tight end Foster Moreau recorded his first catch of the year, a 9-yard gain. Running backs Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller each picked up a first down. The Saints appeared to have a big play inside the Patriots’ 5-yard line when Rattler found receiver Devaughn Vele on a 23-yard reception, but a holding call against Kelvin Banks Jr. negated the play and ultimately forced the Saints to settle for another Blake Grupe field goal, this time from 48 yards.
The Patriots next drive appeared to be a carbon-copy of the first. On third down, Maye threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Douglas, only to have the score negated by a questionable offensive pass interference call. The Saints were called for defensive pass interference on the very next play, giving the Patriots a first down at midfield. Four plays later Boutte caught a 25-yard touchdown pass against tight coverage from Kool-Aid McKinstry, giving New England a 14-6 lead with 33 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
“They made the plays," Moore said. "THey made the plays in those contested situations, you know, their receivers were physical, you know, they went and attacked the football and they made some plays when they had to.”
The Saints took advantage of a Patriots miscue on the ensuing kickoff. New England kicker Andy Borregales’s kick landed short of the landing zone, giving the Saints the ball at their own 40-yard line. Aside from two pass plays—a 17-yarder to Rashid Shaheed and an eight-yarder to Olave—the Saints relied on the ground game to move down the field. Taysom Hill capped off the 11-play, 60-yard drive with a two-yard designed quarterback run to cut the Saints’ deficit to a single point after the PAT.
The Saints defense finally found its rhythm on the Patriots’ next drive. While the Patriots picked up two early first downs on the drive, the Saints stopped the Saints on third down at the 39-yard line. New England elected to go for it on 4th down but enter Garrett Bradbury’s snap was off the mark. Maye recovered the ball but the Patriots took over on downs at their 47-yard line.
The Saints were unable to take advantage of the field position with Rattler and Olave failing to connect on a diving opportunity in the end zone. Grupe ultimately kicked his third field goal of the day, a 38-yarder, to give New Orleans a 16-14 lead with 1:51 to go in the first half.
Maye and company quickly went downfield to regain the lead just before the intermission. Maye connected with Douglas twice and with tight end Hunter Henry and with receiver Stefon Diggs before launching a 29-yard touchdown pass to Boutte with seconds remaining in the second quarter. The Patriots attempted a two-point conversion, which was ruled to be successful upon review, giving the Patriots a 22-16 halftime lead.
Week 6 marked the fourth consecutive game in which the Saints surrendered touchdown drives on the opponent's first two possessions of the game.
“We’re not starting fast enough from a defensive perspective and we’ve got to play better," Moore said. "We’ve got to have a sense of urgency to get out there and get ready to roll. That’s a couple weeks in a row in that scenario and so that’s not the formula we want, to feel like we’re playing from behind for a little while. Again, we’ve got to take advantage of opportunities, and they come in all four quarters and every moment is the same value from the first quarter all the way through the fourth quarter.”
The Saints’ defense opened the second half by giving up several big plays: a 15-yard facemask that gave New England the ball at their own 44 after the opening kickoff, a 14-yard pass from Maye to Diggs on fourth down, and a 20-yard scramble by Maye. The Saints defense finally put a stop to the Patriots’ drive inside the 10-yard line, thanks in part to a big TFL from Saints DT Jonathan Bullard, forcing Borregales to kick a 24-yard field goal that represented the Patriots' only second-half points.
After the teams traded punts, the Saints kept their hopes of a second consecutive win alive by driving into New England territory and setting up a 54-yard field goal by Grupe. The Saints then forced New England to punt a second time, but promptly gave the ball back to the Patriots. The Patriots failed to move the ball following the takeaway and punted the ball back to New Orleans a few plays later.
The Saints then squandered another offensive opportunity. Dropped passes led to New Orleans punting back to New England, who iced the game with 2:33 left on the clock when Maye found Boutte for a 21-yard reception near midfield.
New Orleans (1-5) will go on the road next week to play the Chicago Bears (2-2). New England (4-2) also will be on the road next week, taking on the Tennessee Titans (1-4).