Through just six weeks into the 2025 NFL season, the Patriots have already matched their win total in both of the last two seasons. For the first time since 2022, the Patriots have won three games in a row.
In the first quarter of the Patriots game against the Saints, the Pats utilised Drake Maye’s strong arm and took deep shots for the end zone. On their first drive, Maye hit Demario Douglas on a 53 yard passing play to put the Patriots up 7-3. Then, after another Saints field goal, it looked like Maye and Douglas connected on another deep ball for a touchdown. However, the play got called back for offensive pass interference, or OPI. The penalty, called on Stefon Diggs, was for a light push-off that was initiated by a Saints player holding his arm. This pattern of poor calls taking away big plays from the Patriots appeared several times throughout the rest of the game, leaving many fans upset. However, the Patriots still scored that drive on a Kayshon Boutte touchdown, putting them up 14-6.
Later in the game, the Saints crawled back and took a 16-14 lead during the second quarter. However, the Patriots went into halftime up 22-16 and never looked back, winning the game 25-19.
Drake Maye showed even more improvement this week, passing for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns with a passer rating of 140.1. If Maye continues to play as well as he is, he could be considered in MVP discussions. Additionally, Kayshon Boutte had one of the best games of his young career in his return to his home state of Louisiana, catching two touchdowns for 93 receiving yards.
As Patriots fan Travis O’Neil put it, “There were definitely some bad calls against the Patriots, especially the two against Diggs that took away big plays.”
The Patriots also had to use challenges to overturn game-breaking plays, but an experienced coach like Mike Vrabel knew when to use them. A huge momentum killer for the Saints comeback occurred when the Patriots forced a fumble in the fourth quarter. At first, the receiver was ruled down by contact, but after review, it was ruled a fumble and the Patriots got the ball back late in the fourth quarter.
This win as well as the Bills’ loss, put the Patriots in first place in the AFC East, a division seen as relatively easy for the Bills going into the season.
Sam Ferrara, an avid Bills fan, still believes that “The Bills will easily win the division.” However, an easy remaining schedule for the Patriots might make the divisional race closer than most people think.
