New Orleans quarterback Jameis Winston had zero TDs and two picks last week in a loss to Carolina after throwing for five touchdowns in a Week 1 win over Green Bay. Brian Westerholt/Associated Press
The Patriots shut down the Jets offense because they either forced or baited rookie quarterback Zach Wilson into a four-interception afternoon.
Next up, turnover machine Jameis Winston and the Saints.
Winston has gotten off to a topsy-turvy start, throwing five touchdowns in Week 1, then zero TDs and two picks last weekend. The Panthers frazzled Winston all game, leaving him with a 26.9 quarterback rating, the worst of his career. Overall, they held the Saints to just 128 total yards.
Might they have provided a defensive blueprint for the Patriots?
Maybe, but even if the Patriots have the answers to the test, they still have to execute. Several members of the defense termed it a “do your job game” this week. From Bill Belichick on down, there’s plenty of respect for Saints Coach Sean Payton as a play-caller and play designer.
Naturally, the Patriots are expecting the Saints offense that showed up in Week 1 and blew out the Packers 38-3.
“We’ll see the team that played Week 1, there’s no doubt about it,” said defensive captain Devin McCourty. “They’re going to be ready to go … coming off a tough game in Carolina, there’s no doubt to me they’ll be ready and we’ll see their best stuff.”
Here’s three keys for the Patriots defense to shut down Winston and the Saints.
1. Corral running back Alvin Kamara
Kamara has touched the ball on 48.6% of New Orleans’ offensive snaps and the Saints clearly rely on him to jump-start the offense, especially with All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas on the sidelines.
So the first bull’s-eye is square on Kamara. The Patriots need to contain him as best as they can. He’s going to make plays both running and catching the football, so it’s up to the Patriots to limit the chunk plays.
“(They) get him the ball a lot of different ways … and he produces with it,” said Belichick. “He’s a guy you got to keep your eye on at all times. He plays on all three downs, so he’s always in there.”
Perhaps they’ll have Adrian Phillips tail him if he’s coming out of the backfield. Maybe they’ll take a page out of their strategy in Super Bowl XXVI with the Rams’ back Marshall Faulk, play physical with him, and drill him with a shot every time he heads out of the backfield.
During the first two games, the Patriots haven’t exactly distinguished themselves as run-stoppers, but if they want a chance to slow down the Saints offense, they need to keep Kamara bottled up. The Panthers held him to five rushing yards on eight carries, and won big.
2. Bring out the bad Winston
As Belichick pointed out, Winston can effectively throw the ball from the pocket, and also on the fly. He’s thrown for over 5,000 yards in a single season, but he also has a reputation for making mistakes.
The Panthers managed to draw out that side of Winston by pressuring him, and sending in timely blitzers.
Against the blitz, Winston was 1 for 8. When pressured in general, Winston was 4 of 13 for 54 yards, two picks, and four sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Patriots should still try to take advantage.
“We didn’t handle the communication well enough, we didn’t handle the pressures well enough, and we didn’t coach it well enough,” Payton said following the Carolina loss. “We had seen it on tape, and obviously we got more of it and didn’t handle it well.
“So we clearly didn’t work on it well enough and effectively enough, and it kind of bit us in the butt.”
3. Protect against the long ball
The Patriots get a break with Thomas out. The wide receiving corps isn’t nearly as dangerous, but Deonte Harris, can fly. He’s a legitimate deep threat the Patriots have to monitor.
In two games, he has just three catches for 81 yards, but one of the those was a 55-yard bomb for a touchdown against Green Bay. Harris is a threat as a returner and receiver. Get him in space, and he’s tough to catch.
“He’s fast, quick. He’s an explosive guy,” Belichick said. “He’s obviously not very big, but if he gets the ball in space, he’s dynamite.”
As a returner, Harris averages 31.2 yards per touch, so yes, he’s explosive, and someone the Patriots will have to protect against downfield.
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