5 winners and 6 losers from the Patriots’ 36-20 win over the Saints

Tom Brady didn’t throw a single touchdown pass in New England’s opening night loss to the Chiefs. He corrected that mistake with a vengeance in Week 2, slinging three touchdowns in the first quarter to even the Patriots’ record at 1-1 and prove that, even at 40 years old, he’s not slowing down.

There was a brief stretch where a field goal cut New England’s lead to seven points in the second quarter, but the bulk of Sunday’s game was a blowout. The Patriots proved they still belong on the short list of Super Bowl contenders. Things aren’t nearly as clear for the Saints. New Orleans struggled to sustain drives or find a way to shut down a Patriots attack that lost player after player to injury.

Here are the winners and losers from New England’s return to the win column.

Winner: Tom Brady’s veteran tricks

Brady had only three wide receivers at his disposal, but he employed each of them to push his team out to a big first half lead against the Saints. His finest moment may have been when he convinced the refs to pick up an offensive pass interference flag and allow a 13-yard Chris Hogan touchdown to stand.

He also utilized his old-man tricks, catching New Orleans with 12 men on the field to earn five free yards and negate a free-play interception in the third quarter.

Also, he threw for 447 yards.

Loser: Kenny Vaccaro’s trade value

The Saints are reportedly interested in moving on from their starting safety. After getting burnt repeatedly by the Pats, they may not get the return they’d been hoping for. Vaccaro struggled to catch up to New England’s playmakers, allowing Brady to throw for 294 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone.

Winner: Rob Gronkowski’s favorite number

69 career receiving touchdowns? Nice.

He could have had No. 70 late in the second quarter, but the typically sure-handed tight end dropped a pass in the end zone. Almost certainly because he wanted to bask in the 69-ness of it all a bit longer.

Loser: Alex Anzalone

The Saints’ rookie linebacker was exposed in pass coverage, getting roasted by Gronkowski on his milestone touchdown pass (he fell down twice!) and typically getting caught a step behind the Patriots’ big plays Sunday.

Winner: Mike Gillislee

No Patriot had ever run for four touchdowns in the first two games of the season, let alone his New England career. Gillislee did that in six quarters. New England may miss LeGarrette Blount’s 250-pound frame on fourth-and-1 situations, but the former Bill is doing an admirable job of replacing him at the goal line.

Loser: Adrian Peterson

Peterson wasn’t happy with his usage in New Orleans’ season opener. It was apparent on the sideline:

ANd it was apparent when he talked to the press, telling reporters “I didn’t sign up for nine snaps.” He won’t be happy with Sunday’s performance either. The future Hall of Famer gained only 26 yards on eight carries as his team lost its second straight.

Loser: Sean Payton

Payton starts the season at 0-2 for the fourth straight year. If history is any indication, he won’t enjoy his fourth-straight 7-9 record.

Winner: The Patriots’ defensive discipline

New Orleans booted a 33-yard field goal on fourth-and-8 in the second quarter, but an offside penalty gave Payton an idea. The Saints’ head coach wiped three points off the board to gamble on fourth-and-3, using a hard count to try and lure the Patriots over the line of scrimmage early.

While the gambit came close, it ultimately failed. New Orleans took a delay of game penalty, then kicked the same field goal it had struck from existence just minutes earlier to make it a 20-13 ballgame.

Loser: The Patriots’ offensive depth chart

Injuries are threatening to turn what was once Tom Brady’s deepest offense into a kiddie pool of wideouts and running backs. New England was already without Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola to start the day. During the game, they lost two different players who had scored touchdowns — Gronkowski (groin) and Rex Burkhead (ribs).

A third, Chris Hogan, played out the second half with a noticeable limp.

Winner (for most of the game): Phillip Dorsett

Dorsett never lived up to his first-round-pick status in Indianapolis, but he stepped up for the Patriots when an injury-riddled roster pressed him to the top of the team’s receiving rotation. He had 75 total yards — the second-largest total of his three-year pro career — to carry his share of the team’s offensive weight.

Until ...

Loser: Phillip Dorsett

He limped into the injury tent and missed the final eight minutes of the game with a minor left knee issue, because this injury thing is frankly getting out of hand.