New England Patriots vs. New York Giants: Full New York Game Preview
The New York Giants and New England Patriots have had some all-time classic battles over the years (See: Super Bowl XLII and XLVI) and will look to produce another one this Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
It'll be a war of two first-place teams, though the undefeated New England Patriots (8-0) are the justified, clear-cut favorites, as they're just one of three unbeaten teams in the NFL.
The Giants have never been threatened by New England's perfect records, as when they handed the Patriots their first loss in Super Bowl XLII and forced them to go 18-1 with no ring to show for it.
It will be a tall task for the Giants to pull this one out, even at home, but we will break down some matchups and X-factors for Big Blue in this crucial matchup before the bye week.
Date: Sunday, November 15
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium; East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV: CBS
Week 9 Results and Recap
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After a poor performance in New Orleans, the Giants rebounded well with a 32-18 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The final score isn't indicative of how close the game was, as a last-second turnover on a failed lateral eventually gave the Giants another touchdown to inflate the score. Still, it was encouraging for them to show some mental toughness and earn a road victory after a disappointing finish one week earlier.
Nothing about the box score necessarily stands out, and the Giants offense was mediocre behind a subpar performance from Eli Manning. The weather had something to do with that, as the rain came down heavily in the second half, limiting the work that either team could do in the passing game.
Instead, the game become a sloppy and soaked contest, with the Giants eventually killing the clock late in the fourth quarter and preventing any chance of another late fourth-quarter debacle.
News and Notes
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Johnathan Hankins Placed on IR
A pectoral tear will keep defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins off the field for the rest of the season, according to Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News.
It's a big blow to the Giants, as Hankins had seven sacks last season and had become a disruptive force in the running game. Still, this year he was only tied for ninth on the team with 30 tackles.
The main issue is the depth on the defensive line, which has been a recurring issue for the Giants this season. It'll be interesting to see if New York misses Hankins' presence on the inside of the line this Sunday against New England.
Larry Donnell Pays Tribute to a Friend
Tight end Larry Donnell hasn't experienced as much success on the field this season and is now battling an injury, but that didn't stop him from having some fun at the practice facility.
Donnell wore teammate Daniel Fells' jersey at practice on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com's Dan Graziano.
"I thought he'd get a laugh out of it," Donnell said, per Graziano.
Fells, who is on injured reserve, is finally home after spending three weeks in the hospital because of a MRSA infection. It was a nice gesture by Donnell, even if he did it jokingly.
Latest Injury News
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| Player | Position | Injury |
| Victor Cruz | WR | Calf |
| Larry Donnell | TE | Neck |
| Justin Pugh | G | Illness |
| Geoff Schwartz | G | Ankle |
| J.T. Thomas | LB | Ankle |
| Uani 'Unga | LB | Neck |
| Prince Amukamara | CB | Pectoral |
| Leon McFadden | CB | Groin |
It's another lengthy injury report for the Giants, according to the team's official website.
The injuries to the linebackers will be enormous if neither of them can take the field, as covering tight end Rob Gronkowski was even an impossible task at full strength. Now, with Jon Beason placed on IR and Thomas and 'Unga still not practicing, the beleaguered group takes an even bigger hit.
On the bright side, starting cornerback Prince Amukamara was a limited participant at practice, which is a step in the right direction toward his return for Sunday's tilt with the Pats. He'll make a big difference on the outside, though Julian Edelman will still be a matchup nightmare for whoever is tasked with keeping him in check.
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Key Matchups
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All Hands on Deck vs. Rob Gronkowski
The simple fact is that Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is unguardable. He's too big for safeties and too fast for linebackers. He's the most difficult player in the NFL to guard, especially for the Giants' undermanned and mediocre (at best) defense.
It'll need to be a group effort against Gronk on Sunday, and the Giants are going to have to get dirty, chippy and physical to have a chance at slowing down the monstrous tight end.
If the Giants vary the looks they give him, such as switching between safeties and linebackers and casually throwing double-teams, Gronkowski may be less comfortable. Additionally, they're going to need to hit him early and often, bumping him at the line of scrimmage to slow him down and throw off the timing between him and Brady.
Jason Pierre-Paul vs. Tom Brady
Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul made his debut last weekend and didn't wait long to say something dumb to the media. He gave the Patriots bulletin-board material for no reason.
"They're undefeated, but they have to come through here," Pierre-Paul said, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. "We'll get to the quarterback. I'm sure of it. I know I will."
By practically guaranteeing a sack, Pierre-Paul put a target on his back. Where does his false bravado come from anyway? He's talking as if the Giants are a huge threat to the Patriots this weekend and he's leading the league in sacks.
Regardless, he really does need to have a big game this weekend for the Giants to have a shot at winning. Ranked dead last in the league with nine sacks in nine games, the Giants haven't put consistent pressure on anyone this season.
That will need to change Sunday. Pierre-Paul now has to quickly revert to his former superstar form and lead the charge against New England.
The Giants have shown in the past they can take Brady out of his comfort zone and make him less effective by getting in his face and hitting him. Previously, they had masked their defensive issues behind a furious defensive line and pass rush, and if they're going to have a chance to win Sunday, that has to be the formula.
If Brady has time on Sunday, he'll destroy the Giants just as Drew Brees did a few weeks ago.
X-Factor: Shane Vereen
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Running back Shane Vereen's skill set is something that the Giants have been missing for a really long time. And they have New England to thank for him.
The former Patriot has been exactly what the Giants thought they were getting when they signed him as a free agent. He has been an effective weapon in the passing game for the G-Men.
Vereen ranks third on the team in receptions, targets and receiving yards this season. With no viable tight end option, Eli Manning has often used Vereen as his security blanket when he needs to move the chains on third down.
Facing his former team for the first time, Vereen will need to have another big game to help the Giants to victory. It's unlikely that the average group of Giants running backs will dominate on the ground, so short passes and dumpoffs to Vereen can help substitute for rushes.
Vereen has receiving touchdowns in two consecutive games and will look to keep it going this weekend.
Prediction: Patriots 39, Giants 26
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The forecast for Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, suggests 59 degrees and sunny skies, according to Weather.com. In other news, those are ideal conditions for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to pick apart the Giants defense.
Given the Giants' improbable history against the Patriots in recent years, it's hard to count New York out, especially at home. This time, however, the Patriots are just too good.
Drew Brees entered Week 7 with just eight touchdowns on the season and then threw for seven touchdowns against the Giants. While I'm not going to say that Brady is going to toss seven touchdowns, it's worth noting that he's on pace for 44 touchdowns and just four interceptions on the season. It would be the widest ratio of touchdowns to interceptions in NFL history and likely represent the greatest season ever by a quarterback.
Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and company will be too much for the Giants to guard on Sunday, and the Patriots will put up points with ease. They are used to playing in MetLife Stadium but facing much tougher defenses—something that will be a welcome occurrence for Brady and his comrades.
Prediction: Patriots 39, Giants 26
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