Slow offense characterized the Patriots first half against the Saints. They started the game with four straight punts, including one that was blocked and recovered by the Saints. The next drive gave us Mac Jones first career interception on a play in which he was pressured and hit, a bad decision to throw by the young quarterback.
Defensively, the Patriots held the Saints to two field-goal tries in the first half when they got the ball in scoring territory. Timely defensive lapses on third down allowed the Saints to extend drives and dominate possession. m If it was not for two field-goal misses, the Patriots could have easily been down by a three-score deficit, fighting to crawl back.
While the first half was certainly disappointing for the offense, the end of the half saw an encouraging drive from Jones and company. With less than two minutes to go in the half and only one timeout, the Patriots coaching staff entrusted their rookie quarterback to lead a 2-minute drill and get some points before the end of the half. A false start by tight end Hunter Henry on a fourth and one past midfield put a halt to that drive, but the Patriots were able to score a field goal from it and build momentum as they prepared to take the second-half kickoff.
That momentum would be short-lived, however, as the Patriots opened the second half with a turnover. Jones delivered a pass to Jonnu Smith on a quick out route, hitting his hands but bouncing upwards, sitting perfectly for the Saints to pick off and return for a touchdown making the score 21-6. The following drive was a quick three and out, capped with another drop by Jonnu Smith on a screen-play.
Other than the returned interception, the Patriots held the Saints scoreless for the majority of the second half. A back foot throw from Jones gave wide receiver Kendrick Bourne an opportunity to go up and make a play for the ball on the goal-line, scoring the only touchdown of the day for the Patriots.
With around nine minutes to go, the Patriots narrowed the contest to 21-13 and looked towards their defense for a big stop. A methodical drive from the Saints gave them possession of the ball for nearly seven minutes. A touchdown by gadget QB Taysom Hill shortly before the two-minute warning sealed the game.
Going forward, the Patriots will have to deal with the loss of James White, who was injured early in this game. With Rhamondre Stevenson being scratched the last two weeks, White’s absence going forward could give the team issues with depth. Running back was a deep position for the Patriots going into the season, and issues just three weeks in were not expected.
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