Midway through the second quarter, Tom Brady had all kinds of company in the pocket from the Saints and – as a last resort – flung a pass out to the right that perfectly led a redirecting Gronk downfield. After stepping out of a tackle at the 5, he cruised in for his 69th career touchdown.
The Patriots got their third touchdown with a well-executed rub route in which The Patriots got their third touchdown with a well-executed rub route in which Brandin Cooks worked inside and got a body on Saints linebacker Craig Robertson, freeing up Chris Hogan for a touchdown.