The last time the New England Patriots matched up against the New Orleans Saints the game ended with a masterful last minute drive by Tom Brady. The game was clinched on a Kenbrell Thompkins touchdown catch in the back left corner of the end zone. That drive along with the ineffective play of Jimmy Graham would steal the headlines of the upcoming week. Fast forward two years and the two teams are at it again this time in preseason week two and without both Thompkins and Graham.
With much less on the line compared to their last meeting both teams are looking to get back into the grind of the NFL season while showcasing their new young talent and free agents. After playing in game one it is expected that Tom Brady will have a slight increase in playing time, but the majority of the game still remains on the shoulders of Jimmy Garoppolo. After struggling through seven sacks in his first preseason appearance Garoppolo will look to bounce back and show he can be a viable option if Brady is suspended.
From a Saints perspective quarterback Drew Brees should be making his first appearance after sitting out week one. National media had the tendency of pointing out how Brees had a “down year” last season, but with almost 5000 yards the talent is still clearly there. With Jimmy Graham shipped off to Seattle look for Brees to come out firing to his young receivers to develop an early chemistry with them.
The positions to watch for both teams in this game other than quarterback are at receiver and secondary. Both teams have some drastic movement at wide out, New England went through week one without a single receiver from last year’s roster playing, while the Saints clearly have an added emphasis on receivers with their star tight end no longer on the roster. Brandon Coleman has shown a lot of promise this training camp for New Orleans after playing last year on the practice squad. Coleman is a big strong receiver (6'6'') who could compliment the smaller quicker receivers like Brandin Cooks that have already had success on the Saints’ roster. As for the Patriots the two wide outs to look for are Aaron Dobson and Brian Tyms. The lanky pairing of receivers in New England have both shown the ability to stretch the field, but after missing week one of the preseason both players have to prove that they can consistently contribute.
Covering these receivers will be just as much of a story as the receivers themselves. Malcolm Butler of New England will look to cement his role as the number one corner while the likes of Logan Ryan, Darryl Roberts, and Bradley Fletcher fight for the starting spot opposite Butler. The Saints have had less movement than the Patriots in the secondary this offseason but will look to show improvement as the defense has let the team down many times over the last few seasons. In particular the impact of former Patriot Brandon Browner should add a physical presence to a lackluster unit. The team could also benefit from a big leap by young safety Kenny Vaccaro. Vaccaro has struggled mightily at times but could benefit from better corner play in front of him and potentially show off more play making ability.
Other individuals to watch include James White, Trey Flowers, and Nate Solder for New England as well as former Patriot Ben Watson and Andrus Peat for New Orleans.
James White showed a tremendous ability to gain yards after he catches the ball on screens and short outs from the backfield. If White is able to duplicate his performance from week one and show an increased ability to protect the quarterback on blitzes he could win the third down running back spot outright before the start of the regular season.
The young draft pick Trey Flowers already flashed for the Patriots in week one but wasn’t able to get the snaps he needed after being injured early. His injury is largely unknown so there is a slight chance he will not play but if I was to bet I would say the young edge from Arkansas will be fighting for a role this weekend. Another sack on a big name quarterback could go a long way in determining playing time for flowers in the future.
Veteran left tackle Nate Solder recently returned to practice this week after missing week one. After letting up seven sacks and an uncountable amount of pressures on Garoppolo week one the Patriots will gladly welcome back a starter. The addition of Solder to the line should help to solidify a group that started two rookies in Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason last week.
Ben Watson and a stable of other tight ends will be given the task this season of replacing the production of Jimmy Graham. Although Watson and company have no chance of being as impactful as the star tight end, but the Saints will need to keep pressure on the opponent with big bodies over the middle and seam routes. Watson is a solid athlete for the tight end position, can flash playmaking ability and build chemistry with Drew Brees starting this Saturday.
Andrus Peat was a large investment at tackle by the Saints this offseason and it is easy to see why they like the kid. Only 21 Peat measures in at 6’7’’ 313 lbs according to NFL.com and has potential just as massive as his size. The Saints have been a moderate to below average line since their last Championship and Peat could be the first step towards revival with some impressive early performances.
One week closer to the NFL regular season and the week three dress rehearsal the bottom of the roster players need to build on week one performances if they have any hope of avoiding cuts or making the practice squad as the preseason progresses.