New England Patriots

Patriots-Saints Capsule

Published Sep. 15, 2017 12:22 a.m. ET

NEW ENGLAND (0-1) at NEW ORLEANS (0-1)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS

OPENING LINE - Patriots by 4

RECORD VS. SPREAD - New England 0-1, New Orleans 0-1

SERIES RECORD - Patriots lead 9-4

LAST MEETING - Patriots beat Saints 30-27, Oct. 13, 2013

LAST WEEK - Patriots lost to Chiefs 42-27; Saints lost to Vikings 29-19

AP PRO32 RANKING - Patriots No. 4, Saints No. 26

PATRIOTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (7), RUSH (9), PASS (14)

PATRIOTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (29), PASS (30)

SAINTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (13), RUSH (23), PASS (8)

SAINTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (29), RUSH (24t), PASS (29)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Game features two of NFL's most accomplished QBs: Patriots' 40-year-old Tom Brady and Saints' 38-year-old Drew Brees. Both played in Big Ten, including vs. each other when Brees' Purdue team met Brady's Michigan in 1999. Michigan won 38-12. ... In NFL they've combined to pass for 128,251 yards and 922 TDs, with Brees third in NFL history with 66,402 yards and 466 TDs, and Brady fourth with 61,849 yards and 456 TDs. ... Brady's 208 career wins (including playoffs) as starter most in NFL history. ... Brady has won five Super Bowls, Brees has won one. ... Patriots RB Mike Gillislee had career-high three TDs rushing last week and is first Patriot with three TDs rushing in team debut. ... Patriots WR Brandin Cooks was Saints' 2014 first-round draft choice. ... In three seasons with Saints, Cooks had 215 catches for 2,861 yards and 20 TDs. He had 88 yards receiving in Patriots debut last week. ... TE Rob Gronkowski leads NFL with 68 TDs receiving, ranks second among TEs with 6,128 yards receiving since entering NFL in 2010. ... DE Trey Flowers had two sacks last week. Flowers has four games since 2016 with multiple sacks, tied for most in NFL. ... CB Malcolm Butler, who met with Saints as restricted free agent in past offseason, is Vicksburg, Mississippi, native who played in college at West Alabama. Butler ranked third in AFC with 17 passes defended and tied for sixth in AFC with four INTs in 2016. He's won two Super Bowls with Patriots in first three NFL seasons. ... Brees averaging 357.7 yards passing in past 15 at home. ... RB Mark Ingram has 313 scrimmage yards and four TDs in past three at home. ... RB Adrian Peterson makes home debut for Saints. Peterson ranks 16th in career yards rushing with 11,765 and 10th in TDs rushing with 97. ... He had six carries for 18 yards in first game as Saint last week vs former team in Minnesota. ... TE Coby Fleener had five catches for 54 yards, TD in Week 1. ... DE Cameron Jordan had four tackles and sack in Week 1. ... LB A.J. Klein had team-high 11 tackles, forced fumble in Saints debut last week. ... Fantasy Tip: Saints' secondary struggled to cover good receiving tight ends last season when they ranked last against pass. Until they prove to be better in that area, Gronkowski looks like good bet for big game.

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