Going over some of the standout plays in the Patriots' win over the Saints with film analysis, including:
- Patriots getting exactly what they wanted on Demario Douglas' 53-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye;
- The Saints giving Marcus Jones a chance to make a terrific play on 3rd and 17
- And the two final third downs for the Saints and Patriots that sealed the game
1-10-NE 47 (11:03) D.Maye pass deep left to D.Douglas for 53 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Great execution by the players involved all the way around - that's the only way these shot plays work like this - but this is a playcallers play. I mean, Josh McDaniels probably couldn't have dreamed this up any better to take a shot near midfield.
The Patriots seemed to want to go after the Saints' two rookies in their secondary, CB Quincy Riley and SS Jonas Sanker, and it all fell into place on this play. Hunter Henry goes in motion, which sends veteran safety Justin Reid into the box in the Saints' preferred single high safety coverage (Patriots are great against that coverage), and leaves Sanker as the free safety. Check. Riley is now switched onto Douglas. Check.
Up front, the Patriots go max protection with double teams across the board, especially on both edges against Cam Jordan and Chase Young. This is something that never would have happened last season.
With plenty of time for Maye, it's up to Demario Douglas to sell the corner to get the aggressive Sanker to bite and go to the post, and Maye to deliver a good ball, which all happened.
But the Patriots could not have dreamed up this play any better. It probably didn't look this good on the practice field. This is how you draw it up.
3-17-NE 47 (4:36) (Shotgun) S.Rattler pass incomplete deep left to C.Olave (C.Woods, M.Jones). NE-M.Jones was injured during the play
So this is a phenomenal play by Marcus Jones (one of many) to be the flat defender and suddenly convert to defending the pass to Chris Olave. To flip his hips like this, get vertical, and make a play on the ball against a bigger player is just terrific.
But the Saints also helped. Both Brandin Cooks and Rashid Shaheed run vertical routes in the same area. I think one of them was wrong. Normally, on this type of concept, you have stop route or an in from Cooks or Shaheed to hold the flat defender a little better. If that happens on this play, Olave is probably wide open and the Saints convert. That didn't, and helped Jones be decisive in turning his attention to Olave. Also, good pressure from Christian Barmore helped.
3-7-NO 38 (4:01) (Shotgun) S.Rattler pass incomplete deep left to R.Shaheed
After Olave dropped a high pass from Spencer Rattler, the QB is again high, but this time, there's no chance to convert. Kyle Dugger and Craig Woodson switch places after the snap, which allows Woodson to show a double team with Robert Spillane against Olave (Rattler's favorite target on third down), while Marcus Jones comes on another blitz (sack earlier). This quickly gets Rattler off Olave, and now he's looking at Devaughn Vele, but Carlton Davis is all over him in coverage. Now Rattler is on his third option, and he has a chance at it, but Jones' pressure and Christian Gonzalez being right there lead to the incompletion. The Saints never get the ball back.
3-11-NE 30 (2:40) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass deep left to K.Boutte pushed ob at NO 49 for 21 yards (K.McKinstry). New England challenged the runner was out of bounds ruling, and the play was REVERSED.(Shotgun) D.Maye pass deep left to K.Boutte to NO 49 for 21 yards (K.McKinstry).
This was equally great protection against the Saints' blitz — shoutout Rhamondre Stevenson — and just Drake Maye and Kayshon Boutte being in sync. For Maye to hold his water, be on the same page with Boutte, throw it when it did, and with perfect ball placement. This is high-level, Aaron Rodgers-type stuff. Tremendous.