New England Patriots: 3 Bold predictions vs Saints in Week 2
By Ryan Disdier
1. The Patriots win in dramatic fashion
The last time these two teams met, it was an absolute instant classic. The Patriots one with merely seconds to spare, as the Saints blew a fourth-quarter lead. And of course, the football world received the gift that was Rob Ryan’s face of despair.
While we may not get another great meme, I think this year will feature yet another classic game from the two teams. New Orleans may not be an NFC powerhouse like it was back in 2009 when the Patriots came to town, but this Saints team still has Drew Brees and Sean Payton.
I think the Saints’ home-field advantage will be a real factor in this one, as will the Patriots’ desire to avoid dropping to 0-2 for the first time since the 2001 season. I think the two defenses will allow the opposing offenses to keep the teams in the game. I would expect this game to be decided within the final two minutes.
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However, the Patriots’ offensive firepower and strength in the secondary will help propel them to victory in the Big Easy. I also really don’t think there’s any way a Brady-Belichick Patriots team could drop to 0-2. But if they do, it may seriously be time to think about what’s going on in Foxboro.