New England Patriots (3-2) @ New Orleans Saints (1-4)
Sunday, October 12, 1:00 PM ET
The Mike Vrabel effect on the Patriots is real. There is a reason everyone was hyping this Patriots team up throughout the course of the 2025 offseason, and we saw that on display in Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills.
After a defensive battle in the first half, we saw Drake Maye really go toe-to-toe with Josh Allen in the second half and make some incredible throws en route to a Patriots upset victory. The Buffalo Bills have been running the AFC East since Tom Brady left the Patriots, so the last thing any Bills (or Dolphins or Jets) fan wants to see is the Patriots with another stud at the QB position.
Yet here we are.
The Patriots going on the road to face off against the Saints will be an interesting test for them mentally. So much was poured into beating the Bills, and not that the Patriots can’t stack, but the Saints are a little too easy of a team to overlook at this point.
But the Saints got the first win of the Kellen Moore era this past weekend, and we saw yet another solid performance from Spencer Rattler. The Saints weren’t able to close the deal the week prior, but they also gave the Bills a run for their money.
This could quietly be a really fun matchup between two second-year quarterbacks and teams looking to turn the corner in October under their new head coaches. The Patriots are understandably 3.5-point favorites on the road after their win against the Bills, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints can pull off a win, either.
Prediction: Saints win 23-19