In my last column, I talked about how it had been years since I was truly excited for a Patriots game — and how I wanted them to carry the momentum from their win over Buffalo into New Orleans. As has been the case in recent weeks, the Patriots delivered, improving to 4-2 on the season.
Listen, no one is going to glamorize this win like the one over the Bills, because let’s be honest — the Saints aren’t a great team. However, this was the perfect trap game. The Patriots had all the momentum, and the media were beginning to look at them as a legitimate team. They easily could have taken the Saints for granted and slipped up. Even if it wasn’t the most convincing performance, the Patriots got what they needed and are back home with another win under their belt.
Drake Maye continues to look incredible, and I could rave about his performances all season. However, one player I believe deserves more recognition is on the defensive side: Marcus Jones. Coming out of college, he was — and still is — an electric and dynamic player, especially on punt and kick returns. But his performance as a slot corner has come along over the years. He’s making key plays and showed up big time against the Bills last week and again this week against Chris Olave.
Jones’ ability to make plays on the ball and use his speed to recover if initially beaten has given the Patriots’ secondary a nice complementary piece. Going into the season, Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III were the names on everyone’s minds, but having Jones step up as the third corner has been nothing short of impressive for this defense. Jones is also a first-time captain, which shows how much his teammates value him as a leader.
Another player who deserves his flowers is Kayshon Boutte. When Boutte was in college, he was a first-round talent. Then, after one injury and an inconsistent season, he fell to the Patriots in the sixth round. Now he’s starting to show why so many scouts were high on him after his freshman year at LSU.
The Patriots haven’t had the best luck drafting receivers in recent years, but Boutte has been a hit. He’s now a dependable wideout who gives Maye a reliable deep threat and can go up and win contested balls — something the Patriots haven’t had in a long time.
Lastly, Will Campbell. I’ve been hyping him up since last season ended, saying he was the player I wanted the Patriots to select. So far, in his early career, he’s living up to expectations and protecting Drake Maye’s blind side.
Now the Patriots have the Tennessee Titans up next, followed by the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons before what could be a big matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New England has one of the easiest schedules on paper. It’s not the Patriots’ fault who they have to play, but they can take advantage of it and push for a playoff spot.
There’s still a lot of football left to play, but things are looking bright. Next up, it’s time for Mike Vrabel to seek revenge against his former team, the Tennessee Titans.
