Patriots – Giants, Who has the Razor’s Edge? Key Matchups
David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports
Patriots RBs vs Giants Front Seven – Razor’s Edge New England
The Patriots haven’t been great at running the ball in 2015 but a lot of it was by design. Facing tough run defenses in Buffalo and the Jets, they eschewed the running game for the short passing game. Blount played his most snaps of the season last week and was rewarded with a big 129 yard game. The team will miss Dion Lewis but James White and Brandon Bolden will pick-up the slack as best they can.
The Giants run defense has been steadily sliding downhill the past month plus. Last week they lost their best run stuffer Johnathan Hankins and even against a beat up offensive line in New England, the Patriots should find some gaps to run in.
Patriots WRs vs Giants Secondary – Razor’s Edge New England
As always the Patriots offense depends upon keeping Tom Brady upright. The Patriots have a huge advantage over the injured secondary of the G-men with Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and James White out of the backfield. They have too many weapons for the Giants to cover. Look for Gronkowski against their backup linebackers and LaFell to be frequent targets for Brady and to have big games.
The Giants have had one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL in 2015 giving up an average of 308 yards per game, last in the league. They only have nine sacks as a team but did get back pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul last week and he has already made his presence known. But with their best cornerback Prince Amukamara still injured, this has the makings of a huge mismatch.
Look for Brady to pick on back-up cornerback Jayron Hosely, the fill-in for Amukamara. The 4th year corner has struggled and with so many weapons in the arsenal for NE, they’ll look to single him up. Unless the Giants manufacture a lot better pass rush this week, Brady will make it a long afternoon for the defense.
Next up the Giants offense:
Posted Under: Patriots Commentary
Tags: 2015 NFL Season Bill Belichick Brandon LaFell Chandler Jones Danny Amendola Dion Lewis Dwayne Harris Eli Manning Geneo Grissom Jabaal Sheard Jason Pierre-Paul Julian Edelman LaGarrette Blount Malcolm Butler New England Patriots New York Giants Odell Beckham Jr. Patriots Patriots edge rushers predictions Prince Amukamara Rob Gronkowski Rob Ninkovich Rueben Randle Tom Brady Tom Coughlin
