In the first half of the Saints-Patriots contest, Saints tight end Jimmy Graham was held without a catch due to a defensive approach centered on cornerback Aqib Talib.
If the Patriots are going to keep Graham off the board, they may have to do it without Talib. Talib limped off the field after a first down play in the third quarter and is being examined by medicall staff on the Patriots sideline. He eventually made his way to the locker room for further evaluation.
Talib initially appeared to injure himself on the previous series when the Saints failed to convert a third down and settled for a field goal to cut the New England lead to 17-10. He was attended to on the bench and rejoined his teammates on the field before retreating again to the sideline.
Graham still doesn’t have a catch, but the Saints were able to drive down the field after Talib left the field. They used the running game for the most part and Khiry Robinson scored from three yards out to tie the game.