Drake Maye's Performance Leads 6 Takeaways from Patriots’ Week 6 Win vs. Saints

The New England Patriots (4-2) marched into the Superdome for the first time since 2017 and put on a show to the tune of a 25-19 victory against the New Orleans Saints (1-5).

After a strong first half, the Patriots followed it with an even crisper second half to really cement their Week 6 victory on the road. It marks the first three-game winning streak for New England since the 2022 season.

Here are six takeaways from the Patriots fourth win of the season in Week 6.

1. Drake Maye is Outstanding

Quarterback Drake Maye produced a near-flawless first half, completing 11-of-13 attempts for 185 yards and three touchdown passes to record a perfect QB rating of 158.3 in the first half.

Maye finished the game 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns.

What I found most impressive from Maye was that he didn’t look to check down too much and kept his eyes downfield. He averaged 10.0 yards per pass, but he had three wide receivers average at least 14 yards per reception.

• DeMario Douglas (23.7)
• Kayshon Boutte (18.6)
• Mack Hollins (14)

2. Wide Receivers Showed Up in a Big Way

It was a coming-out party for the wide receivers, as DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte each had a big game to help carry the offense.

Douglas finished with three receptions for 71 yards and scored a touchdown. His score came off a 53-yard bomb in the first quarter that put New England out in front. The way he was utilized in this game to take advantage of wide zone windows was ideal for Douglas’ play style. 

Kayshon Boutte was the other receiver who had a big game while back in his native state of Louisiana. He finished with five receptions for 93 yards and scored two touchdowns.

3. Patriots' Run Game Still Nonexistent 

The run game continues to struggle for the Patriots as they failed to make a meaningful impact for yet another week. New England attempted 31 run plays and only totaled 73 yards, with Maye being the leading rusher with 28 yards. If you take out Maye’s production on the ground, New England only had 45 rushing yards from their running back duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. That just isn't good enough for a team with playoff aspirations, which the Patriots should have after six weeks.

4. Avoided 3 Major Defensive Injuries

The Patriots had three essential players leave the game with injuries. Luckily, all those players were able to return to action.

Harold Landry collided with teammate Khyiris Tonga, who fell into Landry’s knee and caused it to buckle. Landry immediately went to the ground, but he walked to the sidelines on his own power.

Carlton Davis was tended to next after making a tackle on Alvin Kamara in the third quarter. It was unclear exactly what happened, but when Davis returned to the field, the broadcast team reported that the defender was evaluated for a concussion. Davis passed that test and, eventually, made his way back to the field.

Finally, Marcus Jones’ left leg got folded backward during a play in the third quarter, where he had a pass breakup against Chris Olave. Jones also eventually made his way back to the field.

The fact that they were all able to return was a key factor in New England's success, as the Patriots were already shorthanded defensively entering the matchup without Keion White, Anfernee Jennings, and Jaylinn Hawkins.

5. Marcus Jones Continues to Shine

Cornerback Marcus Jones continues to shine week in and week out all over the field. He wraps up and can tackle anybody; he’s able to go up and defend passes against much larger receivers, sack the quarterback, and, on top of all that, he’s still making plays on special teams.

Jones was voted a team captain for the first time in his career, and he’s showing why with his production each week. I think he’s putting together an All-Pro season after six weeks, and those calls will only get louder if he keeps this up.

6. Patriots Defense Another Strong Outing

Although the Patriots allowed Saints second-year QB Spencer Rattler to throw for a season-high 227 yards, I thought it was a strong performance in certain areas.

On the first play of the game, New England called for a cornerback blitz with Davis, which forced safety Kyle Dugger into a one-on-one matchup with Chris Olave, who burned him for a 53-yard gain right off the bat. After that, though, the Patriots held their own and got the job done. 

On one hand, they only gave up one touchdown, which was a designed run from the one-yard line to Taysom Hill. On the other hand, they allowed two drives of 60 yards in the first half and then shut it down in the second half; a 31-yard drive was the longest for New Orleans in the second half.

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