Patriots Escape New Orleans with 25-19 Victory Behind Drake Maye’s Three Touchdowns and Kayshon Boutte’s Breakout Performance

MAYE THROWS CAREER-LONG 53-YARD TD, BOUTTE RECORDS FIRST TWO-TD GAME AS NEW ENGLAND WINS THIRD STRAIGHT

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Quarterback Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes—all in the first half—and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte hauled in two of them as the New England Patriots defeated the New Orleans Saints 25-19 on Sunday afternoon at Caesars Superdome, extending their winning streak to three games and improving to 4-2 on the season.

Maye completed 18 of 26 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, posting a career-best 140.1 passer rating. His 53-yard touchdown strike to DeMario Douglas in the first quarter was the longest touchdown pass of his young career, and his connection with Boutte—who finished with five receptions for 93 yards and two scores—proved to be the difference in a tightly contested road victory.

The Patriots built a 22-16 halftime lead and held on in the second half, with their defense forcing key stops and Maye delivering a clutch 21-yard completion to Boutte on third-and-11 in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

FIRST HALF: MAYE AND BOUTTE LIGHT UP THE SCOREBOARD

Maye’s Career-Long TD to Douglas Opens the Scoring

After the Saints took an early 3-0 lead on a 34-yard Blake Grupe field goal, Maye and the Patriots offense responded immediately. On the Patriots’ second possession, Maye dropped back and launched a deep ball down the left sideline to DeMario Douglas, who hauled in the 53-yard touchdown pass to give New England a 7-3 lead with 10:52 remaining in the first quarter.

The 53-yard scoring strike was the longest touchdown pass of Maye’s career, surpassing his previous best of 40 yards to Boutte against Houston in October 2024. It was also the longest touchdown pass for the Patriots since Mac Jones connected with Pharaoh Brown for 58 yards against the New York Jets in September 2023.

DeMario Douglas on the touchdown:

“I didn’t not see that ball over there, I was excited man. Coach told me, ‘I’m going to call it,’ I’m going to call it early. In practice it was hitting, and then you know my boy School (Brenden Schooler) told me, ‘I am not going to lie that play is going to work,’ and I got in the end zone, bless it.”

Douglas finished with three receptions for 71 yards and the touchdown, his longest reception of his career.

Boutte’s First TD: 25-Yard Strike in the First Quarter

After the Saints answered with a 48-yard Grupe field goal to cut the lead to 7-6, Maye and Boutte connected for their first touchdown of the day. On a six-play, 69-yard drive, Maye found Boutte in the back of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown with 33 seconds left in the first quarter, extending New England’s lead to 14-6.

The touchdown was Boutte’s first of the season and the beginning of a breakout performance for the second-year receiver out of LSU.

Boutte’s Second TD: 29-Yard Catch in the Second Quarter

After the Saints took a 13-14 lead on a Taysom Hill 1-yard touchdown run and another Grupe field goal, Maye and the Patriots responded with another scoring drive. With 31 seconds remaining in the first half, Maye threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Boutte in the back of the end zone, giving New England a 20-16 lead.

Maye then converted the two-point conversion himself, rushing up the middle to extend the lead to 22-16 at halftime.

Kayshon Boutte on his two-touchdown performance:

“Press coverage; had an out route averted to a fade. It was a big play in a big moment. We work on it every day at practice, before practice and after practice. As long as we’re trusting each other, anything is possible.”

Boutte’s two-touchdown game was the first of his career and marked the first time a Patriots receiver had scored twice in a game since Kendrick Bourne in September 2023.

Drake Maye on his trust in Boutte:

“I was trying to give him a chance one-on-one. One-on-one opens this league and you get to know that. What a play by Boutte! It felt right being back home for him.”

First Half Stats

Patriots:

• Total Yards: 217 (185 passing, 32 rushing)
• First Downs: 12
• Third Down: 2-3 (66.7%)
• Drake Maye: 11-13, 185 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT, 158.3 passer rating

Saints:

• Total Yards: 188 (129 passing, 60 rushing)
• First Downs: 12
• Third Down: 2-5 (40.0%)
• Spencer Rattler: 12-14, 129 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT, 105.1 passer rating

Patriots News:

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• Patriots Demolish Panthers: Marcus Jones Rewrites Special Teams History
• Patriots Self-Destruct at Home: Five Turnovers Turn Sure Victory Into Crushing Defeat

SECOND HALF: PATRIOTS DEFENSE HOLDS STRONG, MAYE SEALS THE WIN

Third Quarter: Patriots Extend Lead with Field Goal

The Patriots opened the second half with a methodical 12-play, 50-yard drive that ate up 7:34 of clock and resulted in a 24-yard field goal by Alex Borregales, extending New England’s lead to 25-16 with 7:26 remaining in the third quarter.

The Saints answered with a 54-yard Grupe field goal with 13:41 left in the fourth quarter, cutting the Patriots’ lead to 25-19.

Fourth Quarter: Maye’s Clutch Throw to Boutte Seals the Win

With the game on the line and the Saints threatening to take the lead, Maye delivered the play of the game. Facing third-and-11 from the Patriots’ 30-yard line with 2:40 remaining, Maye dropped back and fired a 21-yard pass down the left sideline to Boutte, who made a contested catch to move the chains and seal the victory.

Kayshon Boutte on the game-sealing catch:

“Press coverage; had an out route averted to a fade. It was a big play in a big moment.”

Drake Maye on the play:

“The biggest thing in that situation is to try to get first down, safely throw into the sideline; what a play by Boutte! It felt right being back home for him.”

Maye then took three consecutive kneel-downs to run out the clock and secure the 25-19 victory.

PATRIOTS DEFENSE: HOLDING STRONG IN THE SECOND HALF

The Patriots’ defense, led by linebacker Robert Spillane (11 tackles) and safety Christian Woodson (6 tackles, 1 fumble recovery), held the Saints to just three points in the second half and forced key stops when it mattered most.

Cornerback Marcus Jones recorded his first career sack, taking down Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler for a 3-yard loss in the fourth quarter.

Head Coach Mike Vrabel on the defense:

“The defense played and covered us in the second half. I’m proud of the guys for leaving here with a win.”

The Patriots’ defense also forced a fumble by Saints tight end Juwan Johnson in the fourth quarter, recovered by Christian Woodson, to help seal the victory.

SAINTS STRUGGLE TO FINISH DRIVES, FALL TO 1-5

Despite moving the ball effectively for much of the game, the Saints (1-5) struggled to finish drives and convert in the red zone. Quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 26 passes for 227 yards without a touchdown or interception, but the Saints managed just one offensive touchdown—a 1-yard Taysom Hill run in the second quarter.

Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore:

“Great battle of a football game. New England made more plays than we did. At the end of the day, we didn’t take advantage of opportunities that were presented to us. Every game is going to have those opportunities, and we have to take advantage of them. They won the turnover ratio. They won some situational stuff, and that’s how this game was decided.”

Spencer Rattler on the loss:

“I thought it was a game where we moved the ball really well in the first half. We had some great plays. We had some big plays. We could have been a little better on third down. I think we were third and long on a couple of those. We could have finished in the red zone a little more. There were a few plays here and there. It didn’t feel like we played poorly. That’s the thing. We were a few plays away. We just have to figure out a way to make those plays.”

Wide receiver Chris Olave led the Saints with six receptions for 98 yards, while running back Alvin Kamara rushed for 31 yards on 10 carries and added five receptions for 45 yards.

PATRIOTS IMPROVE TO 4-2, BEST START SINCE 2019

The Patriots improved to 4-2 on the season, their best start through six games since beginning 6-0 in 2019. New England has now won three straight games for the first time since the 2022 season and improved to a perfect 3-0 on the road.

Head Coach Mike Vrabel:

“He kept battling. Not all of it was perfect today, but I give them a lot of credit. They competed and they answered. We extended plays and made huge plays down the field and had some glimpses of good football. We’ll have to clean up a lot of things, but it’s great to go on the road and get a win.”

Drake Maye on the win:

“Anytime coach has said ‘You guys celebrate winning this league’ no matter how it is or how much we could have played better and how much we left out on the plate. The Saints are a good team and have some good players, and they played hard. It was tough here playing at their place, so I’m just proud of the guys for leaving here with a win.”

BY THE NUMBERS

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Quarter:

• 12:50 – Saints: Blake Grupe 34-yard FG – NO 3, NE 0
• 10:52 – Patriots: DeMario Douglas 53-yard TD pass from Drake Maye (Alex Borregales kick) – NE 7, NO 3
• 5:05 – Saints: Blake Grupe 48-yard FG – NE 7, NO 6
• 0:33 – Patriots: Kayshon Boutte 25-yard TD pass from Drake Maye (Borregales kick) – NE 14, NO 6

2nd Quarter:

• 9:42 – Saints: Taysom Hill 1-yard TD run (Grupe kick) – NO 13, NE 14
• 1:51 – Saints: Blake Grupe 38-yard FG – NO 16, NE 14
• 0:31 – Patriots: Kayshon Boutte 29-yard TD pass from Drake Maye (Maye 2-pt conversion) – NE 22, NO 16

3rd Quarter:

• 7:26 – Patriots: Alex Borregales 24-yard FG – NE 25, NO 16

4th Quarter:

• 13:41 – Saints: Blake Grupe 54-yard FG – NE 25, NO 19

PLAYER STATS

Patriots:

Passing:

• Drake Maye: 18-26, 261 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT, 140.1 passer rating

Rushing:

• Drake Maye: 9 carries, 28 yards
• Terrell Henderson: 9 carries, 27 yards
• Rhamondre Stevenson: 13 carries, 18 yards

Receiving:

• Kayshon Boutte: 5 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TDs
• DeMario Douglas: 3 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD
• Stefon Diggs: 3 receptions, 28 yards
• Hunter Henry: 3 receptions, 27 yards
• Mack Hollins: 2 receptions, 28 yards

Defense:

• Robert Spillane: 11 tackles
• Christian Woodson: 6 tackles, 1 fumble recovery
• Marcus Jones: 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PD
• Christian Gonzalez: 5 tackles

Saints:

Passing:

• Spencer Rattler: 20-26, 227 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT, 102.6 passer rating

Rushing:

• Alvin Kamara: 10 carries, 31 yards; 5 receptions, 45 yards
• Kendre Miller: 8 carries, 21 yards
• Spencer Rattler: 4 carries, 20 yards
• Taysom Hill: 1 carry, 1 yard, 1 TD

Receiving:

• Chris Olave: 6 receptions, 98 yards
• Rashid Shaheed: 4 receptions, 28 yards
• Brandin Cooks: 1 reception, 21 yards
• Juwan Johnson: 2 receptions, 15 yards
• Foster Moreau: 1 reception, 9 yards

Defense:

• Demario Davis: 7 tackles
• Paulson Adebo: 5 tackles
• Alontae Taylor: 5 tackles
• Johnathan Abram: 5 tackles

MILESTONES & NOTES

Patriots:

• Drake Maye: Tied career-high with 3 TD passes; career-long 53-yard TD pass; 5th consecutive game with 100+ passer rating
• Kayshon Boutte: First career 2-TD game; first Patriots WR with 2 TDs since Kendrick Bourne (Sept. 2023)
• DeMario Douglas: Career-long 53-yard TD reception
• Marcus Jones: First career sack
• Patriots: 4-2 record, best start since 2019 (6-0); 3-0 on the road; 3-game winning streak
• Patriots defense: Have not allowed a 50-yard rusher through six games (first time in team history)

Saints:

• Blake Grupe: 4-4 on field goals (34, 48, 38, 54 yards)
• Taysom Hill: 1-yard TD run
• Spencer Rattler: 20-26, 227 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT
• Saints: 1-5 record; 0-3 at home

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