After 36-20 loss to Patriots, Saints are 0-2 for the Fourth Straight Season

The New Orleans Saints are in a very familiar position: 0-2 for the fourth straight year. It was going to be a tough task defending Tom Brady anyway, but on top of the awful defensive display, the Saints offense continued its mediocre play, unable to score touchdowns and continually settling for field goals (made and missed). The Saints are now in a dire situation, going to Carolina next Sunday, trying to avoid going 0-3 against a much stouter defense than the one they played today.

Defensively, Sean Payton has to decide what he wants to do with Dennis Allen. Just in the first half, Brady had 302 yards passing and three touchdowns. Offensively, he has to shore the offensive line someway, somehow, because it is the definite weakest link, unable to protect Brees or open holes for the running backs.

They are long gone the days when the Saints were unbeatable in the Dome. Let’s hope the Saints’ brass will eventually realize it and take the necessary steps to make this franchise a winning one again. Right now, these Saints are closer to the Browns than the Saints we grew to know and love.

Here’s how the game unfolded quarter by quarter:

1st Quarter

• Patriots start with the ball at their 25-yard line after a touchback
• Patriots convert a pair of crucial early third downs
• Brady throws a 19-yard touchdown to Rex Burkhead
• Stephen Gostkowski clanks the extra point
• NO: 0 - NE: 6
• Saints take the ball with a good field position after a Pats’ penalty
• Saints quickly move into Pats territory
• Saints face a big 3rd and 7 and Brees’ pass falls incomplete
• Will Lutz converts a 46-yard field goal
• NO: 3 - NE: 6
• Pats take the ball and quickly move towards midfield
• Brady finds Rob Gronkowski for a 53-yard touchdown on a broken play
• NO: 3 - NE: 13
• Saints take the ball and start going backwards after a Ramczyk hold
• Another holding has the Saints in a 3rd and 22
• New Orleans goes nowhere and has to punt
• Patriots are in Saints territory in a blink after a 3rd and 7 conversion
• Brady finds Hogan for his third touchdown of the first quarter
• NO: 3 - NE: 20
• The quarter expires with New Orleans trailing by 17

2nd Quarter

• Saints drive right into the Pats red zone
• Saints find the end zone with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brees to Brandon Coleman
• NO: 10 - NE: 20
• Patriots quickly face a 3rd and 8 and gets sacked back at the 18-yard line
• Pats punt for the first time of the game
• Brees finds Brandon Coleman for a 42-yard pass reception
• Saints again find themselves in the red zone
• A pass to Ted Ginn Jr. in the end zone is well defended
• On the field goal, Pats jump offside, taking 4th and 8 to 4th and 3
• Wil Lutz kicks a field goal but Sean Payton takes the 3-point off the board
• Saints try to make the Pats jump again but take a delay of game
• Lutz makes it again from 35 yards out
• NO: 13 - NE: 20
• Patriots drive again and find themselves deep in Saints territory
• After a long completion to Brandin Cooks, Pats run into the end zone
• NO: 13 - NE: 27
• Saints take the ball and once again drive down the field
• Saints stall and on 4th and 3, they decide to go for it
• Saints fail and the Patriots get the ball
• Pats find their way to a field goal as time expires on the first half
• NO: 13 - NE: 30
• At the half, Saints have given up 302 yards passing and 4 total touchdowns
• Not good, not good at all

***

3rd Quarter

• Saints start with the ball and march into Pats territory
• Brees gets sacked by Deatrich Wise Jr. and Saints have to punt
• Patriots hold on to the ball for a while but stall and have to punt
• Saints get into New England’s territory but stall again
• Lutz clanks it up the right upright.
• NO: 13 - NE: 30
• Pats drive down into the Saints red zone but stall
• Gostkowski converts 24-yarder
• NO: 13 - NE: 33
• Saints get the ball but Brees looks shaky on a couple of passes
• Saints face a 3rd and 15 as the quarter ends

4th Quarter

• Saints stall and have to punt on 4th and 15
• Pats take the ball and once again drive right into the Saints’ red zone
• New England savvy playcalling has them keeping the ball for over 5 minutes
• Stephen Gostkowski converts another field goal, a 22-yarder
• NO: 13 - NE: 36
• Saints take the ball as the Pats go into prevent defense
• On 4th and 1, New Orleans converts with an Adrian Peterson run
• Saints find the en zone with a Brees’ pass to Coby Fleener
• NO: 20 - NE: 36
• Fleener has become the garbage time touchdown master
• Saints onside kick is recovered by the Patriots
• Pats milk down the clock down to the 2-minute warning
• New England turns the ball over on downs
• Saints throw a few stat-padding passes
• Pats win 36-20