The New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots face off and what could be a defensive battle. Both fan bases are upset with where their team currently stands. Both of their frustrations are directed primarily towards the offenses. That leads to the first storyline we are highlighting.
Our first storyline to watch is the struggling offense both of these teams provide. Neither team is particularly efficient in getting yards or points. New England is 19th in total yards while the Saints are 23rd in total yards. The story gets more grim when you get into points. Saints fans have had a first row seat to bad offense and have lamented the Saints inability to score points. The Patriots are even worse. New England has the third worst scoring offense in the NFL.
Another storyline to watch is the Patriots health on the defense. Rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez and edge rusher Matthew Judon are potentially out for the season after suffering injuries last week. These are two of the best players on the Patriots defense. Cornerback J.C. Jackson returned to New England this week via trade. He could possibly play against the Saints because he already knows the New England defense. Jonathan Jones is also looking to return from injuries. Both of these moves could help the New England secondary.
There are no reinforcements coming to replace Matthew Judon. The Patriots just have to work with what’s in the room. The next man up would be Josh Uche. He shifts from being Judon’s running mate to now being the center of attention for the Patriots pass rush. Some hope that rookie Keion White can begin to take more of an impact. Judon has nearly half of the Patriots sacks, so his absence should impact the Patriots heavily.
