Why They Win: New England Patriots Plan For Must-Win vs. New Orleans Saints

In any other realm, the New England Patriots could at least take solace in the fact that there's nowhere to go but up after last weekend's anarchy in Arlington. Alas, they're situated in the NFL, where rock bottom has the most flexible of definitions.

New England will get back to work on Sunday afternoon when it faces the New Orleans Saints, a team equally desperate to make things right, at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots will look to avoid falling to 0-3 on their interconference slate, having already accompanied the loss to the Dallas Cowboys with an opening day defeat to Philadelphia.

Though they were unable to avoid dubious history last week ... the 38-3 shellacking was the team's first five-touchdown defeat since 1993 ... the Patriots can avoid their first 1-4 start in 23 years if they prevail against the Saints. New Orleans is working through anything but a big easy, having dropped each of their last two after opening with a couple of wins. Last week was a dreary divisional duel against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one that saw the Saints on the wrong end of a 26-9 decision.

What: New Orleans Saints (2-2) @ New England Patriots (1-3)
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
When: 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Who's Won: New England leads series 10-5 (last: 28-13 NO, 9/2021)
Who's Favored: NE -1

What Choice Do They Have?

Bill Belichick has never been one to sugarcoat sketchy situations in Foxborough and it's impossible to do that after the Dallas disaster. Few, if any, were expecting the Patriots to resume their dynastic ways this season, but the ongoing campaign has taken on a new sense of bleakness that requires the Patriots to play perfectly if they're going to pull off victories.

“We’ve played four games,” Belichick said during an appearance on WEEI on Monday. “(In) three games we turned the ball over and lost. (In) ne game we didn’t turn the ball over and didn’t get sacked and won. I think we know what the formula is. We just have to do a better job of it.”

Even that single victory, one that continued the annual tradition of besting the New York Jets, was a nailbiter. Now's the time for Belichick to prove his coaching mettle as questions about his formerly ironclad legacy start to surface.

There are far from any certainties in the modern NFL but the Patriots getting back up after taking a punch in the mouth appears to be one of the rare assurances. Even if/when they pull it off today, the Patriots know that they're going to face an uphill battle. But facing a reeling interconference foe at home seems like an opportunity that even this group could find a way to cash in upon, especially if they come out angry over the way they were treated last week.

Pressure Drop

Will these plucky Patriots ever catch a break in this century? It does appear that the NFL has their back by situating them against the equally reeling Saints this weekend.

Though New Orleans boasts one of the more formidable front sevens in the NFL (led by Cameron Jordan, idolized by Belichick himself), it has struggled to gain any sense of consistent pressure, ranking 22nd in pressure percentage per dropback (21.6) and 20th in successful blitz rate (24). That works in the favor of the Patriots, who still face questions about Cole Strange but are expected to welcome in the services of Riley Reiff upon his activation from injured reserve.

No one's expecting him to be an MVP ingredient but Belichick has high hopes for Reiff, who should be able to at least partly stabilize the Patriots' protection.

“It’s always good to have versatility when you can have it, not everybody gives you that,” Belichick said upon Reiff's activation on Friday, per Boston.com. “He’s comfortable playing different spots. Some guys need to lock into one spot, and he’s comfortable doing multiple things.”

Carr Wreck

On paper, New Orleans should be capable of running away with the quizzical quartet known as the NFC South, especially in the post-Tom Brady era. Part of that is pricy quarterback Derek Carr struggling to live up to expectations. Alvin Kamara's absence through a three-game suspension set the team up for a dubious start on the ground, as they averaged only 3.5 yards a carry over the first four.

In either case, this works for a Patriots defense enduring the most brutal example of raining and pouring: not only did the team fall by a historic margin but they also lost what little exhilaration fans have left in the form of Christian Gonzalez and Matthew Judon. If the Patriots can survive what should be an early dose of Chris Olave and Michael Thomas, they should be fully capable of winning an ugly slugfest.