Three reasons for optimism ahead of Saints vs. Patriots in Week 6

Following their first victory of the 2025 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints will be taking on the New England Patriots at home in Week 6 in an attempt to gather a second-straight win. This will no doubt be a tough matchup for the Saints, as the Patriots are coming off a victory over the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills and will no doubt enter with lots of momentum to their name.

With that said, there are some positives for New Orleans to take into this game as well. Here are three of the more notable ones to keep an eye out for:

1. Spencer Rattler may have opportunities for big plays through the air

Despite an extremely strong run defense, the New England Patriots have been hit or miss when it comes to defending against the pass. They have allowed the fourth-highest completion rate in the NFL at 71.2%, are tied for the third-highest yards per attempt allowed at 8.2 yards, and have allowed 41% of passes to be completed for a first down, the third-highest rate in the league. Similar to last week's opponent, the New York Giants, they don't disguise many of their coverages.

This should provide an opportunity for Spencer Rattler to not only game manage and hit short passes, but also open up the offense through a few deep shots as well. Hopefully, he can find some open receivers down the field and give the run game a little more room to work with in the mid-game.

2. Despite a somewhat hit-or-miss season, the run defense could hold up

Another positive for the Saints is that they are going up against a Patriots squad that has been pretty ineffective in the run game. They have produced a tie for the fifth fewest yards per carry at 3.8, the eighth fewest rushing yards at 476, and are tied for the second most fumbles on rushes with four already in the first few weeks. There is a ton of opportunity for the Saints to take advantage of a weak point for this opponent, if they can find it in them to hold down the gaps.

3. Jonas Sanker is rapidly becoming an anchor of the secondary

Jonas Sanker, coming off an outstanding performance against the Buffalo Bills, had another productive day against the New York Giants. In that game, he had seven tackles, a tackle for loss, and a 27-yard fumble recovery, along with some productive plays in coverage. In 253 defensive snaps this year, he has only allowed six completions on 12 targets for 77 yards and one touchdown, good for a 63.5 passer rating when targeted.

Additionally, he has been relatively reliable when tackling, only missing two tackle attempts, or 8%, which is extremely impressive for a young safety getting his first NFL reps. While the secondary has been very poor this year, Sanker has truly become a core piece of the defense.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Three reasons for optimism ahead of Saints vs. Patriots in Week 6