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Giants (2-3) Patriots (5-0)
Last Sunday, after allowing the Redskins to
take an early first quarter lead, the Patriots got back on track. They gave up
no more points and went on to win 33-7, almost an exact reflection of their average
scoring over these first five games.
Things did not go well for the Giants
last week in their game with the Minnesota Vikings. They lost the game 28-10,
and their second leading running back, Wayne
Gallman, was injured as well. New
England Patriots
What
chance do the Patriots have of winning the Super Bowl this year? Not much, based
on their recent history. They only win every other year, as they did in 2014,
2016, and 2018. That's just a joke of course as fans, players, and coaches from
other NFL teams shake their heads and are left in wonderment at New England's
continued success.
It's an understatement to say that the Patriots are off
to a good start this year. They are 5-0, and while one of the first thoughts that
comes to your mind whenever you think about the New England Patriots is quarterback
Tom Brady, this year you can't ignore the defensive unit. They have allowed opponents
an average of less than 7 points a game. Patriots
Offense
Let's get back to thinking about Tom Brady. He's 42 years old, and is the only
player drafted in 2000 who's still playing the game. His pass completions over
his 19 years as a starter have always been over 60% in each and every single year,
and 64% overall. Is he slowing down? So far this year, Brady's thrown 10 touchdown
passes, has run for another, and in the process has led his team to an average
of 31 points a game. On Sunday Brady completed 28 of 42 passes for 348 yards,
topping 300 yards for the third time in five games. The Brady to Rob Gronkowski
connection is gone now, as the tight end had retired soon after their Super Bowl
win.
Right now no tight end is among the top receiving group for the Patriots,
which includes Julian Edelman (WR), James White (RB), Josh Gordon (WR), Phillip
Dorsett (WR), and Rex Burkhead (RB). Dorsett, who leads the group with his three
touchdown catches, will be out for this game with a hamstring injury.
Sony
Michel is the lead rusher, and he has 3 touchdowns on the year. Burkhead and White,
who we mentioned for their roles as receivers, have a combined 38 carries, less
than half as many as Michel. Patriots
Defense
How good is this defense? The Patriots
have gone five games without allowing a touchdown pass. Last week Washington was
held to 1 for 11 on third-down conversions. New England has four straight games
with at least five sacks. They had stepped up after having just one in their first
game 33-3 win over Pittsburgh. The Patriots 24 sacks is the most in the NFL. So
far all their opponents combined, have been successful on only 8 of 63 third down
conversions.
Stepping back a bit, the Patriots tightest game was a 16-10 win
over Buffalo. All the rest of the teams they've played so far, Pittsburgh, Miami,
the Jets, and Washington have combined for just one win. Buffalo being the strongest,
all those teams actually rank 26th and below on offense in the NFL. Giants
Offense
Daniel Jones will see another tough
defense coming at him this week in New England, and his options have dwindled
down from last week. The Giants announced that Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, Wayne
Gallman, and Sterling Shepard are ruled out for Thursday night's game. That's
a lot for an offense to give up going into a game, especially this one with the
Patriots. With Shepard out, Golden Tate will have a bigger role. He didn't see
much action, as they worked him back in his first game of the season last week.
It
goes without saying that the offensive line will have to play their best to protect
Jones, and to get a running game going using Jon Hilliman and Eli Penny. Nate
Solder played for seven years with the Patriots before coming to the Giants, and
he'll be facing his former team for the first time. Coming off his hamstring injury,
rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton has only played in the last three games. In
his first game back he had a 46 yard reception. Slayton is averaging 17.4 yards
per catch, and last week had a 35 yard touchdown. Giants
Defense
Inside linebackers Alec Ogletree
and Tae Davis are back for this game after missing the last two. Outside linebacker
Lorenzo Carter is listed as questionable. The Giants will need all hands on deck
in their effort to stop the Patriots. Tom Brady has thrown two interceptions so
far, notably one each in the last two games. Brady's lone weakness is handling
pressure in the pocket. Last week the Patriots offensive line let Brady take nine
hits and four sacks.
If the Giants can do that, they will have a shot. Markus
Golden, Dexter Lawrence, and RJ McIntosh combined for three sacks last week, and
having Ogletree back is a big plus. On the
other hand, Brady has thrown 23 passes that have gone 20 yards or more. The Giants
have given up 24 plays like that, and to quarterbacks that are not as skilled
as Brady. Janoris Jenkins and Deandre Baker had their hands full last week, and
the Patriots top receiver Julian Edelman will be coming their way. Overall
The Giants fans enjoyed seeing their team win two straight games before everything
fell apart last week. New England is a tougher opponent than the Vikings, and
the Giants have added players to the injury list. It's hard to believe that Bill
Belichick will break much of a sweat worrying about this game. Their next one
is a full 11 days later with the Jets who they already beat, before facing off
with Cleveland. As rigid as he is, he'll probably be struggling not to jot down
notes that come to his mind about that game, while his team has this workout with
the Giants. NFC East Games
Thursday at 8:20pm Giants (2-3) at New England (5-0)
Sunday
at 1:00pm Redskins (0-5) at Dolphins (0-4).
Sunday at 1:00pm Eagles (3-2) at
Vikings (3-2).
Sunday at 4:25pm Cowboys (3-2) at Jets (0-4).
The Redskins
and Cowboys are the only NFC East teams favored to win in these games.
Check out.
Giants
On The Air. Listen to the Radio Broadcasts.
TeamGiants on Twitter.
Notes.
Golden
Tate leads the NFL with 2,736 yards after catch
Golden Tate is second among third-down receptions, with 124 since 2014. Giants
won the last time they played the Patriots in Gillette Stadium, 24-20 in 2011. Patriots
have won 18 straight games against a first or second-year quarterback. Patriots
are 96-1 when leading at halftime in the regular season in Gillette Stadium..
Next Games
Oct 20 Cardinals at Giants.
Giants Tickets - Buy
or Sell
Oct 27 Giants at Detroit.
Giants Tickets
- Buy
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