NEW ORLEANS – It should’ve been easy.

At 10:50 of the third quarter, Drake Maye escaped out of the pocket and took off for a 20-yard gain. The Patriots quarterback set up the offense with a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line.

It had the makings of the Patriots ’ fourth touchdown after scoring three in the first half against the New Orleans Saints. Instead, it shed light on the team’s biggest weakness.

On the next snap, Rhamondre Stevenson took a handoff and gained 1 yard. On second down, the running back was blown up behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 3 yards. Add in a delay of game penalty on third down, a failed pass play after that, and the Patriots settled for a field goal after being two yards from the end zone.

A week after Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye challenged the

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