Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots did not exactly enjoy a weekend off, but they were able to watch the action unfold from afar before their Monday night matchup with the New York Giants. What they saw was the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture remaining highly contested: thanks to a 27-26 overtime win, the Denver Broncos are now in the top spot again, meaning that the Patriots will need to win to regain the upper hand heading into their bye week.
In order to do so, they will have to beat a Giants team that has won only two games so far this season and already fired its head coach. That said, New York fields plenty of talent on both sides of the ball and will undoubtably pose a challenge to Mike Vrabel’s 10-2 squad.
So, with that said, let’s take a look at our head-to-head comparison between the two teams ahead of their 8:15 p.m. ET showdown on Monday.
Patriots pass offense vs. Giants pass defense: Even though the Giants defensive line is among the most talented in football both on the interior and on the edge, the results for the defense as a whole have been lacking in the passing game. The team is entering its matchup with Drake Maye and company ranked in the bottom third in most important categories, including passing yards (2,734; 23rd), EPA per dropback (0.124; 23rd), passing touchdowns (21; 24th) and interceptions (5; 27th). While the Patriots are facing some major questions along the left side of their offensive line, the season so far points toward them having an advantage when it comes to moving the ball through the air. | Edge: Patriots
Patriots pass defense vs. Giants pass offense: Even though they are 2-10 and have started three different quarterbacks, the Giants have been able to successfully move the ball through the air. That speaks for offensive coordinator/interim head coach Mike Kafka as well as his players, primarily Jaxson Dart. The first-round draft pick completed 62.7% of pass attempts in his seven starts for 1,417 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, with his EPA per dropback (0.183) ranking ninth in the NFL over that span. New England should still have the upper hand considering the superiority of its secondary personnel versus the Giants’ skill position players, but they cannot count on Dart looking like a rookie either — especially if their pass rush continues to be uneven. | Edge: Patriots
Patriots rushing offense vs. Giants run defense: New England’s run game has had flashes this season, but consistency has been lacking throughout. Now without Will Campbell and Jared Wilson for the foreseeable future ass well, things will not get any easier. That’s why the Giants come at the right time: New York has been downright bad at stopping the run, ranking last in the NFL in rush yards allowed (1,886), yards per carry (5.9) and EPA per run (0.193). Obviously, New England...
