NEW ORLEANS — When wide receiver Stefon Diggs made his way to the locker room after the New England Patriots‘ 25-19 win against the New Orleans Saints, he clapped his hands and noted the roll the team is on by saying, “That’s three in a row!”

Then, before boarding the team bus, Diggs was one of the last remaining players in the locker room and already looking ahead to Sunday’s road game against the Tennessee Titans.

“We’ll enjoy this for 12 hours and then we have a big one next week,” Diggs said.

Why so big?

“People are going home, I guess,” he said with a touch of humor.

Diggs’ reference to coach Mike Vrabel bringing the Patriots (4-2) to Tennessee, where he served as head coach from 2018 to 2023, highlights what will be a top storyline in the days to come.

“That’s 3 in a row,” Stefon Diggs says as he returns to the locker room clapping his hands. pic.twitter.com/shbJj0dW2S

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 12, 2025

The “homecoming” theme has been prevalent for the surging Patriots in recent weeks, as this marks the first time the team has won three in a row since 2022.

In a Week 5 win against the Buffalo Bills, it was Diggs’ return to Western New York — and his stellar performance in a prime-time upset — that generated headlines.

And in Sunday’s road victory over the Saints, it was Louisiana-born and former Louisiana State receiver Kayshon Boutte rising up with a clutch performance that included a team-high five catches for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns (deep shots of 25 and 29 yards). Boutte became the first Patriots player to score multiple touchdowns of 25 or more yards in a game since Phillip Dorsett II in 2019.

“Something about going home, I think guys feel comfortable back at the crib,” Diggs said.

The Patriots won despite a performance that included “a lot to clean up,” according to Vrabel. A lack of running game (73 yards on 31 attempts), 11 penalties and shaky pass defense at times were among the primary struggles. But when they needed a play to close it out, Boutte delivered.

He capped off his day by making a 21-yard catch from quarterback Drake Maye on third-and-11 before the two-minute warning, which allowed the Patriots to kneel on the ball for the win. It was a contested catch on an out route that he converted to a fade. Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry was glued to his hip, and Boutte turned to haul in the back-shoulder throw along the left sideline and he landed in bounds with a thud.

“What a play by Boutte,” said Maye, who finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and a 92.6 QBR. “It felt right being back home for him.”

The 5-foot-11, 197-pound Boutte, who joined starting left tackle and fellow Louisiana native Will Campbell in returning home, had 40 family members and friends at the game for whom he purchased tickets. He called it an “emotional day” and “full-circle moment” while noting the twists and turns of his career — going from a once-highly touted prospect to sixth-round pick whose NFL career hit a crossroads this past spring before it took off under Vrabel and receivers coach Todd Downing.

“Three, four years ago I wasn’t in the best position. I think a lot of off-the-field stuff. I look at myself like I’ve been through a lot. I feel like I’m finally getting back together and everything is coming good. I feel like it’s good to beat the adversity and keep working,” Boutte said.

The work continues in Week 7 with a trip to Tennessee to face the Titans (1-5), with the spotlight on Vrabel and his team who is 3-0 on the road this season.

“We know Vrabes has been there and everything like that, but he’s here now,” Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones said. “So we’re going to try to take advantage of the opportunity we have and try to go 1-0 next week.”