The New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints remain something of a mystery to the rest of the NFL. The Saints, in particular, have been both extremely impressive and wildly disappointing. They enjoyed a wild high in Week 1 with a 38-3 win over the Green Bay Packers, only to falter in a 26-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.
It’s anyone’s guess which version of the Saints will arrive for Week 3 against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots are expecting the best version of New Orleans. If they get that version, New England will be up for a tough test, because to this point, the Patriots have faced lowly-looking Dolphins and Jets teams and have just a 1-1 record to show for it.
Here are New England’s keys to a victory over the Saints.