Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints will host the New England Patriots at Caesars Superdome in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. To break it down, Taylor Kyles of Pats Pulpit joins us to preview Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
NJ: The Saints recently traded for former Patriots WR Ja’Lynn Polk, who will miss the entire 2025 season as he recovers from a shoulder injury. So what should the Who Dat Nation know about their newest pass catcher and what he brings to the table?
TK: Frankly, it’s hard to say after Ja’Lynn Polk’s disappointing first season. He was a reliable target during the summer who showed promise as a route-runner, and he even flashed in his first couple of games. However, the team placed a square peg in a round hole by forcing him to play “X” or split-end instead of slot and “Z” or flanker and slot out of desperation. This, combined with some tough drops and a significant shoulder injury, led to a downward spiral that Polk couldn’t recover from in New England.
All that said, when Polk was coming out, I loved his ability to win at the catch-point short, intermediate, and deep, and he was a fantastic blocker at Washington. Hopefully, a change of scenery is enough to bring those traits back to the forefront.
NJ: What weakness should New Orleans be looking to exploit against New England?
TK: LT Will Campbell and LG Jared Wilson have been impressive for two rookies on one side of the line, but they’ve been vulnerable to twists and stunts. Something similar can be said for RG Mike Onwenu, who’s powerful but not very nimble. If you’re looking to make Drake Maye uncomfortable, that would be my strategy.
Defensively, the Patriots’ linebackers can be exploited 1-on-1 in coverage. Robert Spillane, Jack Gibbens, and Jahlani Tavai are technique-sound and get good depth in zone, but they aren’t very explosive. Christian Elliss is one of their best athletes at the position, but he’s had trouble with pick plays in tight spaces.
I’d also look test the safeties, as Jaylinn Hawkins and rookie Craig Woodson have given up some big plays in man coverage. Woodson in particular gave up a pair of Red Zone touchdowns to Panthers TE Tommy Tremble a couple of weeks back.
NJ: Defensively, how has New England adjusted after trading Davon Godchaux to New Orleans this offseason, and who’s stepped up in his place?
TK: The Patriots swapped Davon Godchaux out for Khyiris Tonga in part due to their shift from a two-gapping 3-4 scheme to an attacking 4-3 under, and it’s worked out very well for New England. Tonga looks and plays like a space-eating NT, but he’s surprised everyone, including Mike Vrabel, with his quickness and movement skills. Tonga will dent the line of scrimmage, chase down plays from the backside, and gives a bit more juice as a pass rusher than they got from Godchaux. As the heart of the Patriots’ run defense, expect to hear Tonga’s name...
