Saints, Pats meet in 1st Brees-Brady-less matchup since ’05

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — When New Orleans and New England face off, it will mark the first time the teams have met since 2005 that Drew Brees and Tom Brady won’t be the opposing quarterbacks. It hasn’t tamped down the intrigue, with Patriots rookie Mac Jones drawing Brady comparisons and the Saints’ Jameis Winston on a mission to prove he can still be a dependable NFL starter. This week is also big for other reasons. This is the Patriots last game before the highly anticipated return of Brady in Week 4. The Saints are hoping to bounce back after an ugly loss at Carolina.