Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte had a happy homecoming on Sunday, as he put on a show in New England's 25-19 win over the Saints in New Orleans.

The Louisiana native, who made a name for himself in college at LSU, said he had 40 members of his family and friend circle in attendance at the Superdome on Sunday. He foot the bill for everyone to come, and then didn't disappoint with a huge afternoon for the Patriots.

Boutte, who grew up a few hours from New Orleans, hauled in a pair of first-half touchdowns for New England. He won a battle with cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry for his 31-yard touchdown at the end of the first quarter, and then added a 29-yard touchdown just before halftime put the Patriots on top, 22-16, at the break. 

Boutte caught all five passes quarterback Drake Maye sent his way for a team-high 93 yards in Sunday's win. It was the second game this season he's racked up at least 90 yards, joining his 103-yard opener against the Las Vegas Raiders.

"It was amazing coming back home, first time playing in the Superdome," Boutte said at the podium after the win. "I was a little emotional at first. It felt like a full-circle moment, first time I've been back playing  playing here. I think everything was cool but got comfortable as we went on.

"Great team win," he added.

Kayshon Boutte's game-sealing catch

Boutte's biggest catch of the day didn't happen in the end zone. On New England's final possession, with the Patriots hanging onto a 25-19 lead and facing a third-and-11, Boutte hauled in a huge 21-yard reception on a comebacker from Maye. Though he was initially ruled to have been pushed out of bounds, Mike Vrabel challenged the call and it was overturned. Boutte was in bounds, and it allowed the Patriots to take the clock down to the two-minute warning.

Boutte has never seen a contested catch he doesn't think he can catch. He confidently said that he knew he was going to come down with the game-sealing reception in-bounds when he went up for it.

"I knew I had it the whole way," he said. "Made sure to get my right foot down and put all my weight in my left foot so my knee hit the ground before I was out of bounds."

"What a play by Boutte," said Maye. "It felt right being back home for him."

After his six-catch effort in Week 1, Boutte had just seven receptions over the next four games. But he's always putting in the work with Maye at practice -- and before and after -- and he knows the hard work will pay off.

"You can only control what you can control," he said. "If you whine too much about not getting opportunities, sometimes when the ball comes your way you're not going to make the play. It's really just about being dialed in throughout the whole game because at any given moment the ball is yours."

Boutte was dialed in all day Sunday, and the maturity he's displayed throughout his third NFL season earned him some praise from Vrabel after the game.

"I think he's just gotten better. His demeanor, he's never too up, never too down," said Vrabel. "Sometimes the ball finds him and he makes the plays, and when it doesn't, he just kind of understands it wasn't his snap.

"I hope he can enjoy this for a few minutes with his family and anyone that was around here," added Vrabel. "Just a big play for him."