2021 · Week 3

Final

Saints

New Orleans

QB Jameis Winston

28·13

Patriots

New England

QB Mac Jones

Gillette Stadium · outdoors · fieldturf · 73°F · wind 11mph

Closing spread

NE -3

Total

44

Model margin

+0.6est.

NE perspective

Push chance

7.4%est.

the line sits on a key number

Win probability

  • Patriots
  • Saints

How each play moved the game.

Patriots winsSaints wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Saintsedge mapPatriots
  • -0.063EPA / play+0.070
  • 41.1%Success rate48.6%
  • +0.003EPA / dropback+0.133
  • -0.147EPA / rush-0.012
  • 7.0%Explosive rate11.1%
  • -5.00CPOE+2.93
  • 36.1%Third-down rate45.5%
  • 64.1%Red-zone TD rate62.3%
  • 1.88Points / drive2.41
  • 1.6%Turnover rate2.0%

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

NE lead 5–3 since 1999

Meetings average 47.4 points. NE are 4-4 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W6NE @ NO2519NE
2023 · W5NO @ NE340NO
2017 · W2NE @ NO3620NE
2013 · W6NO @ NE2730NE
2009 · W12NE @ NO1738NO
2005 · W11NO @ NE1724NE
2001 · W11NO @ NE1734NE

Box score

Individual performances

Saints

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Jameis Winston13/2112820

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Alvin Kamara24893.70
Taysom Hill6325.31
Tony Jones2126.00
Alex Armah155.00
Jameis Winston540.80

Patriots

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Mac Jones30/5127013

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Mac Jones6284.70
Damien Harris6142.30
James White166.00
J.J. Taylor122.00
Brandon Bolden3-1-0.30

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line +32.6%4.3%2.9%7.3%7.4%3.0%4.5%2.8%

Positive margins favour Patriots; negative favour Saints.

Half-point at risk

7.41%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

50.7%

Expected total

41.8est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)+0.62
  • Home-field advantage+1.71
  • Quarterback adjustment-1.70
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin+0.63