Biggest Takeaways from New England Patriots' Week 10 Win

It's always something when the New England Patriots and the New York Giants meet up for one of their classic showdowns.

With a 27-26 victory, the Patriots moved to 9-0 on the season. This was more than just another win, though. Even thought it's been four years since these two teams last met, the Patriots were riding a string of three straight losses to the Giants and had a chance to exorcise some demons on Sunday.

They fell short of a perfect season in 2007. They fell short of a fourth Super Bowl title in 2011. They did not fall short this time. 

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the game. 

Life Without Julian Edelman Could Be Difficult

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The Patriots have moved on from a lot of injured players already this season, but they sure hope that no injury is bigger than the one that happened on Sunday.

Wide receiver Julian Edelman was taken out of the game with a foot injury, and according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, he could be back for the playoffs. That still means the Patriots are going to have to get by without Edelman for the next seven regular-season games.

Good luck with that.

Edelman has caught 61 passes for 692 yards (11.3 yards per reception) and a career-high seven touchdowns through nine games in 2015. The Patriots slot receiver has been the team's leading pass-catcher in all but four games this season and is frequently a security blanket for quarterback Tom Brady at every level of the field.

With Brady under center, the Patriots offense should keep chugging, but they're running out of skill position players quickly.

The Offensive Line Play Is Getting Downright Offensive

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From Nate Solder to Marcus Cannon to Tre' Jackson to Ryan Wendell, the Patriots have had no shortage of injuries on the offensive line this season. That might help explain why Tom Brady was under so much duress from a Giants defense that entered the game ranked dead last in sacks. 

On Sunday, Brady was under pressure on 17 of his 49 dropbacks (34.7 percent) and was sacked three times, according to Pro Football Focus. Those numbers aren't awful in and of themselves, but when Brady is getting the ball out quickly and he still has pressure in his face, there's a problem. 

On top of that, the Patriots ran the ball 23 times for 77 yards (3.3 yards per carry) against a very mediocre run defense. The Patriots running game has not been very effective this season and ranks 27th overall at the moment (92.8 yards per game), but the offensive line has to protect Brady better and open up more holes in the running game if they want to keep the ball moving. 

Malcolm Butler's Season of Inconsistency Continues...on a High Note

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One week, Malcolm Butler is shutting down an opposing team's best receiver. The next week, the Patriots cornerback is being victimized and sent to the burn ward. There will be a string of strong performances followed by a few weeks of futility.

On Sunday against the Giants, Butler turned in one of his better performances of the season, and he did it in a game when he allowed an 87-yard touchdown pass into his coverage—the longest play ever yielded by the Patriots defense under head coach Bill Belichick.

On the day, Butler allowed three receptions on 10 throws into his coverage for 92 yards and a touchdown. That means, after the long touchdown, Butler yielded just two completions for five yards. Most of his day was spent one-on-one with Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.—the recipient of the long touchdown pass—but the second-year Pro Bowl receiver did not have as much success as he or the Giants would have liked.

Instead, he was frustrated by the Patriots' up-and-coming cornerback in an individual effort that helped bring the Patriots closer to victory. In a one-point win, the Patriots needed every bit of help they could find. 

Danny Amendola Steps Up for Injured Julian Edelman

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The Patriots are going to have to find a way to keep their offense moving even without Julian Edelman at their disposal.

Enter Danny Amendola, who finished with 10 catches on 11 targets for 79 yards. He's been one of the Patriots' more reliable receivers this season and has caught 40 of the 48 passes thrown his way (83.3 percent), which is currently the highest mark for any wide receiver with at least 40 targets.

Amendola also turned in an 82-yard punt return that could have been a touchdown had he not been tripped up by his teammate, safety Duron Harmon, less than 10 yards away from the end zone.

Replacing Julian Edelman is going to be a team effort, and Amendola's skill set makes him one of the players who is most likely to see an increase in his work load. Sunday's game was proof that he is up to the challenge.

Tom Brady Can Still Lead a Phenomenal Comeback

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The Patriots have spent much of the 2015 season playing with a lead.

In the two occasions when they have not, Tom Brady has delivered masterful performances to get his team the win.

It happened a few weeks ago against the New York Jets, and it happened once again on Sunday against the Giants. The Patriots faced a 10-point third-quarter deficit, their largest since the Super Bowl, but Brady led the Patriots to 17 second-half points to claim the victory.

It was the hardest-fought win of the season, and while Brady wasn't the only one to thank for the win, he proved once again that he still has the late-game magic to pull a win out of his hat—or some other nether region. 

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced stats obtained via Pro Football Focus.