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New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints: Game Preview

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-3) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-0)

SERIES

 

PATRIOTS

SAINTS

SERIES LEADER

8-3

STREAKS

Past 3

COACHES VS. OPP.

Belichick: 3-0

Payton: 0-0

LAST WEEK

W 31-14 vs. Jets

W 38-7 at Buccaneers

LAST GAME

11/20/05: Saints 17 at Patriots 24.  New England QB Tom Brady passes for 3 TDs & Patriots S Eugene Wilson intercepts pass in end zone as time expires to preserve win.

LAST GAME AT SITE

10/4/98: Patriots 30, Saints 27.  New England K Adam Vinatieri kicks game-winning 27-yard FG with 3 seconds remaining & Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe throws for 317 yards & 1 TD.

BROADCAST

ESPN (7:30 PM CT): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden.  Westwood One Radio: Kevin Harlan, Boomer Esiason, Mark Malone (Field reporter).  SIRIUS: 124 (WW1), 126 (NE), 125 (NO).  XM: 124 (WW1), 103 (NE), 102 (NO).

STATS

PASSING

Brady: 261-393-3,049 (2L)-20 (2C)-6-100.4 (2C)

Brees: 218-320-2,746 (2C)-22 (1L)-9-105.8 (2L)

RUSHING

Maroney: 116-455-3.9-6

P. Thomas: 105-584-5.6-5

RECEIVING

Welker: 79 (1L)-854-10.8-4

Colston: 44-687-15.6-6

OFFENSE

416.1 (1C)

420.5 (1L)

TAKE/GIVE

+12 (1C)

+10 (3L)

DEFENSE

296.7 (3C)

330.6

SACKS

Banta-Cain: 5

Smith: 8.5 (T3C)

INTs

Bodden: 5 (T3L)

Sharper: 7 (1C)

PUNTING

Hanson: 39.7

Morstead (R): 43.6

KICKING

Gostkowski: 90 (1C) (30/30 PAT; 20/24 FG)

Carney: 81 (45/47 PAT; 12/15 FG)

 

 

NOTES

PATRIOTS Aim for 7th consecutive win on MNF...Club has won 17 consecutive regular-season games vs. NFC, longest winning streak vs. opposite conference since 1970 merger...Team will make 1st visit to Superdome since SB XXXVI victory (2/3/02).  Pats are 5-0 all-time at Superdome, incl. SB win...QB TOM BRADY (29,495) needs 163 passing yards to surpass DREW BLEDSOE (29,657) for most in NE history.  Brady is 2-0 vs. NO & has 7 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 129.5 passer rating.  Has posted 5 consecutive 300-yard passing games (career-long)...RB LAURENCE MARONEY aims for 6th game in row w/rush TD & needs 1 to surpass career-high (6 in '06 & '07)...WR RANDY MOSS aims for 4th consecutive game w/TD vs. NO.  WR WES WELKER had career-high 15 rec. last week & aims for 6th consecutive game w/9 or more rec....CB LEIGH BODDEN tied Pats record w/3 INTs last week, incl. 53-yard INT-TD return...

 

SAINTS Are 10-0 for 1st time in team history.  Average 36.9 points per game, most in NFL...QB DREW BREES is 2-0 in career vs. NE with 118.4 rating.  Aims for 5th in row on MNF with 300+ yards.  Has 1,289 yards (322.3 yards per game) with 10 TDs vs. 3 INTs for 109.6 rating in past 4 on MNF.  Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 16,656 pass yards...RB-PR REGGIE BUSH has 5 TDs (3 rush, 2 PR) in 4 games on MNF.  RB MIKE BELL rushed for 2 TDs last week.  RB PIERRE THOMAS has 4 TDs (3 rush, 1 rec.) in past 2 MNF games...WR MARQUES COLSTON aims for 4th MNF game in row with TD (4 TDs).  WR ROBERT MEACHEM aims for 4th in row with TD.  Has 4 TDs in past 3...DE WILL SMITH has 6 sacks in past 4 & aims for 5th in row with sack.  Had 1.5 sacks & FF in last meeting.  S DARREN SHARPER had INT in last game vs. NE.  Has 3 INTs (2 INT-TDs) in past 2 vs. AFC.  LB JONATHAN VILMA had INT last week & has INT in all 6 NFL seasons.