The New England Patriots defense ranks joint-ninth in the league in points per game, allowing just 20.2 per game. This mark puts them above last season's best unit, the Philadelphia Eagles, and not far off the second and third-ranked units of the 2024 Chargers and Broncos.
Despite heavy investment in cornerback Carlton Davis and the duo of Milton Williams and Harold Landry as pass rushers, the Patriots haven't been a strong pass defense. The unit comes 26th in the league in pass yards allowed per game, far off their 9th overall rank.
Instead, their run defense has propelled the team to a top-ten defense. Robert Spillane was the key addition to run support; his 89.1 PFF run defense grade is sixth among all linebackers. The unit allows just over 85 yards per game, the fourth fewest in football.
Additionally, they have yet to allow a 50-yard rusher in the first five weeks.
Keeping Alvin Kamara contained is a must for the Patriots in Week 6 matchup
Alvin Kamara, despite now being 30, is still a focal point of the Saints' offense. Just last season marked a career high in rushing yards, 950, to go along with six rushing touchdowns at an efficient 4.2 per carry. A further 68 catches for 543 yards and a pair of touchdowns further boosted his stats.
With Spencer Rattler as the quarterback for the Saints, the passing offense is limited. There's doubt Chris Olave is great when healthy, and Rashid Shaheed has elite speed, but the pass catchers don't make up for Rattler's limited ability. He averages 198 yards per game and has been entrusted to be very conservative with his throws, resulting in just one interception this year.
Continuing the trend of keeping backs bottled up is a must for New England, given the limited Saints' passing offense. The Saints rank joint-sixth in rush attempts per game, and while Alvin Kamara is the focal point of their backfield, Kendre Miller is also on pace to carry the ball 130 times this season. The run game will be the focus of Mike Vrabel and the defensive staff.
Historically, Kamara hasn't played the Patriots much, but he hasn't played them well. He only took one carry as a rookie against the Patriots, but he did have 54 receiving yards. He had 80+ yards in his next two matchups, but in none of the three games did he average more than 3.7 yards per carry. He averages 15.7 rushes for 57.3 yards per game against New England, along with a trio of catches and 32.3 receiving yards.
Holding strong against the Saints shouldn't be an overly difficult task if they can keep Kamara's impact to a minimum, as they've done through their three matchups.