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Patriots – Giants, Who has the Razor’s Edge? Key Matchups

Steve Balestrieri

November 12, 2015 at 6:00 am ET

Patriots – Giants, Who has the Razor’s Edge? Key Matchups

(PHOTO: David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports)

🕑 Read Time: 5 minutes

Posted Under: Patriots Commentary

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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 4^th 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:

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About Steve Balestrieri

A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)