Sunday Afternoon – New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints

Whenever we have a matchup of Hall of Fame quarterbacks it’s must-watch TV. In Week 2, we get to see Tom Brady go head to head with Drew Brees down in the Big Easy. Not to mention, the Saints should be a contender in the NFC South with the addition of Hall of Fame running back Adrian Peterson. These teams combined have more star power than half the league combined, so don’t miss this one.

Keys to the Game

Patriots

The Pats should play a slow, controlled game in this one to maximize their odds of winning. It’s not that they can’t beat New Orleans in a shootout, but why take the chance? The Saints’ defense is so porous that New England will be able to walk up and down the field and the more time they take off the clock, the less time for Drew Brees to mount a comeback. Combine that with a couple stops on defense and maybe a turnover or two and the Pats will have this one in the bag. New Orleans doesn’t have the firepower to compete in that scenario.

Saints

This is going to be an uphill battle for the Saints, straight up. Their defense is not going to be able to hang with Tom Brady and company, so it’s important that the offense score early and score often. If they can make the game a shootout, it will be their best chance of winning. They’ll need to lean on their studs in Brees and Peterson to take the game into their own hands at times and make some big plays. This is the exact kind of game you have in mind when you sign someone like AP.