As good as it felt for the New Orleans Saints (1-4) to break into the win column, it doesn't guarantee carryover for Sunday's game against New England (3-2) in the Caesars Superdome.
New week, new opponent, new strategies to win. So, here we go:
1. MAKE IT COUNT
It wasn't lost amid the post-win euphoria that the Saints were 0 for 3 in the red zone against the Giants; it just wasn't exclamation-point important, because they won. But New Orleans is 7 for 17 in the red zone this season, and it's hard to win games at that rate. Quarterback Spencer Rattler has done a great job of protecting the football, but he has missed a couple of end zone throws that could have helped and the Saints have committed penalties that made some trips inside the 20-yard line much more difficult. Having Taysom Hill available to run quarterback power plays helps, but execution simply has to be at a premium in those situations. Productive first and second downs is the key. New Orleans' red zone offense has to stop being a work in progress; it has to see progress from the work.
2. ENCORE
After notching his first NFL victory as a starter with another clean performance, Rattler (20 of 30 for 225 yards and a touchdown) will see if he can replicate or surpass against a Patriots pass defense that has been pretty accommodating. New England's opponents have completed 71 percent of their passes for 243 yards per game, making the Patriots fourth- and seventh-worst in the league, respectively, in those categories. Even if another 87-yard touchdown pass to Rashid Shaheed doesn't manifest, there should be some chunk plays available. Maybe this is the breakout game for receiver Chris Olave, or maybe tight end Juwan Johnson eats. New Orleans' passing game needs to pick up where other Patriots' opponents left off.
3. TRY, TRY AGAIN
The Saints' pass game may have to shine, because the Patriots only allow 86 rushing yards per game, fourth-fewest in the league. Still, like last week, New Orleans has to be true to the run game. The Saints gained 88 yards on 30 carries against the Giants, but the attempts are important. The Patriots have to respect the Saints' running game in order for the passing game to function better. The combination of Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Rattler and Hill need to squeeze out all they can on the ground.
4. DISRUPT DRAKE
New England allows lots of passing yards, but it balances by producing 241 passing yards per game. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye is completing 74 percent of his passes for 1,261 yards, with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He's been sacked 17 times in five games, so maybe edge rusher Carl Granderson can get to him (and not have this sack nullified by a questionable roughing the passer penalty). The Saints benefitted from forcing five turnovers against New York, including two interceptions by cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. You can't count on five turnovers each week, but you can hopefully pressure the quarterback and reduce his efficiency. Do that, and maybe a few turnovers can result from it, too. Maye has been far too efficient to allow him to be comfortable, and receiver Stefon Diggs (29 catches for 359 yards) can make life miserable for a secondary.
5. NO ROOM FOR ERROR
The Saints' offense and defense haven't been spotless, but the special team units have been a colossal disappointment so far. Blake Grupe has missed five of 15 field goal attempts and has missed the landing zone a couple of times on kickoffs; the punt and kickoff cover teams each have surrendered big returns; and New Orleans hasn't yet created a field-flipping return (the Saints averaged 13.5 yards on two kickoffs against the Giants). The team doesn't need fireworks in the kicking game, but it'll take "steady."
