New England Patriots: Win-Loss predictions for every game in 2017
By Nick Ziegler
Week 2: @ New Orleans Saints
In the second week of the season, the Patriots will have the luxury of having a few extra days to prepare for the New Orleans Saints. In 2016, the Saints once again missed the playoffs despite having one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Like Tom Brady, Drew Brees is still playing at a very high level despite being an older player in the NFL. The Saints’ offense will certainly test New England’s defense in Week 2 more than Kansas City’s offense. At home, the Saints are able to score in bunches historically. However, the Saints will be without Brandin Cooks.
This offseason, one of the biggest deals was the deal between the Saints and Patriots that sent Cooks to New England. With Cooks returning to New Orleans, he will surely be motivated to have a big game against his former team. Expect to see Brady look for Cooks early and often against his former team.
Even though the Patriots have a good defense, expect this to be a high-scoring game in New Orleans. While the Patriots might give up some points to the Saints, they should have no problem scoring in the 30s against the Saints defense.