The New England Patriots return to the confines of Gillette Stadium and will begin a two-game stretch against the NFC South with home games against the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots are an NFL-best 59-17 (.776) against the NFC since realignment in 2002, the best inter-conference record in the NFL during that time.
Points figure to be at a premium when the Patriots and Saints go at it Sunday in Foxborough.
When the Patriots run - Edge: Saints
Heading into the season it was expected that the Patriots would rely heavily on the run and play behind their dominant offensive line.