Spencer Rattler's latest solid outing for Saints undermined by untimely mistakes in loss to Patriots

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Spencer Rattler posted similar passing numbers to New England’s Drake Maye on Sunday, only to walk off the Superdome field feeling far less satisfied.

Rattler was 20 of 26 for 227 yards without a turnover, but his receivers let him down in a 25-19 loss in which the New Orleans Saints' only second-half points came on Blake Grupe's 54-yard field goal.

Tight end Juwan Johnson lost a fumble after making a first-down catch at midfield in the fourth quarter. The next time the Saints had the ball, wide receiver Chris Olave dropped a throw near midfield that would have gone for a first down, leading to a punt with 3:55 left.

The Patriots were able to run out the clock after that, thanks to receiver Kayshon Boutte holding on to a contested third-down catch near the sideline with cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry right on him.

“They had one-on-one opportunities and they made plays,” first-year Saints coach Kellen Moore said. “We’ve got to find a way to come up with more of those on our end.”

Olave let a long pass slip through his hands in the end zone late in the first half, forcing the Saints to kick a 38-yard field goal that gave them a 16-14 lead. Boutte responded with a 29-yard touchdown catch 31 seconds before halftime and New England remained in front from there.

Rattler was seeking his second straight win, having guided the Saints past the New York Giants 26-14 last Sunday, but instead lost for the 11th time in 12 career NFL starts. He has thrown only one interception all season and completed 71.3% of his passes since Week 2.

Still, New Orleans (1-5) has the worst record in the NFC.

“It’s tough, but that’s football, especially at this level,” Rattler said. “It didn't feel like we played poorly. A few plays away — we just got to figure out how to make those plays."

The fumble that Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss forced from Johnson, was among the costliest plays for the Saints. Johnson initially was ruled down by contact, but New England coach Mike Vrabel quickly challenged the call before New Orleans could hurriedly get off another snap — and got the call overturned by replay review.

“I was confident when it first happened,” Elliss said. “I felt the ball move completely out of his hands, but then when I saw it on replay I thought, dang, he did a good job of bringing his arm underneath it, so I didn’t know which way it would go.”

The Saints have not had many critical plays go their way.

Rattler found Olave for 53 yards to the Patriots 22 on the game's first snap, but New Orleans settled for Grupe’s 34-yard field goal.

Grupe kicked a 48-yarder on the Saints’ next possession, but Maye threw touchdown passes of 53 yards to Demario Douglas and 25 yards to Boutte as New England went ahead 14-6. May, who backed up a big win at Buffalo last week, was 11 of 13 for 185 yards in the first half but only 7 of 13 for 76 yards after the break.

After reaching the end zone just once on Taysom Hill's 1-yard run in the second quarter and getting the rest of their points on four field goals by Grupe, the Saints were kicking themselves for a variety of reasons.

“We’re right there, playing against good teams – really good teams,” Rattler said, alluding to losses to Arizona, San Francisco and Buffalo that were close well into the fourth quarter.

“We’re not happy about a loss," he added, "but we know we’re a better team than our record says.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl