Saints 2023 Week 5 Preview
New England Patriots Host Saints in Week 5 Matchup
After a home loss to division rival Tampa Bay, the Saints will travel to Foxborough for a matchup with the New England Patriots. Both teams are coming off losses in which they failed to reach the end zone; the Saints lost 26-9, and the Patriots fell to the Cowboys 38-3. Now sitting at 2-2, New Orleans will look to rebound from back-to-back losses.
The Matchup:
This week five contest features two teams needing help to get the ball rolling. Both squads currently sit in third place in their respective divisions. New England competed in three one-possession ballgames before their poor showing at Dallas. The Saints haven’t scored over 20 points in a single game thus far this season. Offensive playcalling has been the center of attention lately for Pete Carmichael’s struggling New Orleans offense, and fans are questioning the OC’s ability. The game will be broadcast live on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at noon CST on CBS.
Series History:
Although the Saints and Patriots have only played one another 15 times prior to Sunday, the matchup has proven competitive. New England leads the all-time series 10-5. In the last game between the two, the Saints picked up a road victory in September 2021. New Orleans bested the Pats by a score of 28-13. Historically, the Saints have had success on the road against the Patriots. All but one of New Orleans’ victories in the series has come as the away team, and they’ll look to continue that trend in 2023.
Team Rankings Comparison:
| Rank (Week 4) | Saints | Patriots |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 2-2 (3rd NFC South) | 1-3 (3rd AFC East) |
| Scoring Avg. | 15.5 (27) | 13.8 (30) |
| Opp. Scoring Avg. | 19.0 (9) | 24.3 (21) |
| Total Off. | 285.3 (23) | 320.3 (17) |
| Rushing Off. | 87.5 (25) | 93.5 (24) |
| Passing Off. | 197.8 (21) | 226.8 (12) |
| Total Def. | 304.3 (11) | 297.0 (10) |
| Rushing Def. | 103.3 (11) | 101.0 (10) |
| Passing Def. | 201.0 (12) | 196.0 (10) |
| Turnover Margin | ±0 (17) | -5 (27) |
| Penalties | 24 (23) | 24 (24) |
| Penalty Yards | 237 (12) | 188 (24) |
Current Injury Report:
Saints-
Derek Carr, QB, Week-to-Week, Shoulder
Juwan Johnson, TE, Questionable, Calf
Paulson Adebo, CB, Questionable, Hamstring
Andrus Peat, G, Questionable, Concussion
Lonnie Johnson, CB, Questionable, Hamstring
Landon Young, T, Questionable, Hip
Jamaal Williams, RB, IR, Hamstring
Jake Haener, QB, Suspended
Marcus Maye, S, Suspended
Patriots-
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Questionable, Thigh
Trey Flowers, DE, Questionable, Foot
Cody Davis, S, Questionable, Knee
Riley Reiff, T, Questionable, Knee
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Out, Shoulder
Matthew Judon, LB, Out, Bicep
Tyquan Thornton, WR, Out, Shoulder
Final Thoughts/Prediction:
You cannot win games if you cannot put points on the board. The Saints' offense isn’t good and has not been for a while now. New Orleans has failed to score over 20 points in their last seven games dating back to last season; they’ve only done so twice in their previous 11. Fans are not accustomed to seeing their team struggle offensively and want change before all hell breaks loose. Until there is a turnaround with Derek Carr and the offense, I will keep this short and not-so-sweet: I am picking the Patriots at home, 25-19.
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