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The Big Easy turned into the Big Efficient as the Patriots beat the Saints 25-19 in the Superdome, and it started spicy. New Orleans came out hot with a 53-yard strike from Spencer Rattler to Chris Olave, but Drake Maye answered like a vet—dropping a 53-yard bomb to DeMario Douglas and then dealing a 25-yard dime to Kayshon Boutte to make it 14-6 after a pair of early Blake Grupe boots. From there, the Pats played from in front and never blinked.

The Saints punched back in the second with the Taysom Tank—Taysom Hill from a yard out—and another Grupe kick to keep it tight, but Maye kept cooking and found Boutte again before the break to steady the ship. After halftime, New England’s red-zone stall still paid rent with an Andy Borregales 24-yarder, and the defense put the clamps on—Harold Landry III nabbed a late first-half sack, Marcus Jones added another in the fourth, and Bryce Baringer launched a 69-yard moonball to flip the field when it mattered.

Pure numbers, pure poise: Drake Maye (18/26, 261 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT) turned the Superdome into his laboratory, with Kayshon Boutte (5/93, 2 TD) and DeMario “Pop” Douglas (3/71, TD) doing the slicing. The Pats didn’t get much push on the ground—Rhamondre Stevenson managed 13 carries for 18 yards—but they covered the number and controlled the tempo late. (New England was -3.5 pregame.) (espn.com) On the other side, Spencer Rattler (20/26, 227 yards) was efficient, Chris Olave (6/98) kept popping, and Alvin Kamara (10-31 rush; 5-45 receiving) battled through an ankle issue after entering the day listed as questionable. (sbnation.com) Grupe’s 54-yarder early in the fourth gave the Dome some juice, but New England’s situational ball—the third-down hookups and that clock-milking drive capped by Boutte’s late 21-yard chain-mover—iced the gumbo.

Big Dill of the Game: Kayshon Boutte. Two touchdowns in his return to SEC country and the clutch grab to help slam the door? That’s a bayou homecoming with extra hot sauce.

I’m Dillon “Big Dill” Smith, and this is Big Dill Sports—where ballin’ is a big dill. Catch you for the next one.