The New England Patriots’ return to Monday Night Football will see them go up against what is on paper an inferior opponent. While they are entering Week 13 with a 10-2 record, the New York Giants are only 2-10 and already eliminated from playoff contention.
That said, there is not taking the Giants lightly. They have played competitive football on offense, and are talented if underperforming on defense. Add the fact that the Patriots will be without the entire left side of their offensive line for that one, and you will get a game that might end up being more competitive than the difference in record would suggest.
Given their recent run of injuries, it will take a full-team effort for the Patriots to come away victoriously. That said, our eyes will be on a handful of players in particular: considering the circumstances and opponent, here are our pivotal Patriots for Monday’s game.
Obviously, we could include Drake Maye on this list every week. So, why is he on here right now? Because of two reasons: his up-and-down performance to open last week’s game versus the Cincinnati Bengals plus his change in supporting cast with the losses of left tackle Will Campbell and left guard Jared Wilson.
Against the Bengals in Week 12, Maye was uncharacteristically inaccurate early on in the game. While he did settle down after a pick-six in the early second quarter, his play still put the Patriots in a difficult situation as well as an early 10-0 hole. He was instrumental in them climbing out of it, but we will see on Monday whether those were some cracks in the armor or just a slow start.
As for his supporting cast, the Giants will likely try to take advantage of the change up front. How Maye reacts both in terms of his pre- and his in-play decision making will be critical.
Considering that the Patriots might have to scheme around a shorthanded offensive line, they might decide to include more quick game to get the ball out of Drake Maye’s hands. If so, second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson might be heavily involved as a receiver: entering Week 13 with 29 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown, he is the most dynamic back on New England’s roster and therefore a prime candidate to be employed as a safety-blanket out of the backfield.
In addition, Henderson also will be asked to hold his own as a pass blocker again. The Giants are middle-of-the-pack in terms of blitz percentage this season (23%), but given the questions along the O-line and the fact that they are playing their first game under a new defensive coordinator — interim Charlie Bullen — might just elect to spice things up.
The spotlight will be on Vederian Lowe and Ben Brown on Monday, with the former replacing Will Campbell at left tackle and the latter taking over for Jared Wilson at left guard. Both Lowe and Brown have played serviceable football for the Patriots this season and in 2024, but there is a reason they are backups this year and no longer filling the starting roles they previously held.
Naturally, inserting them into the lineup changes the entire complexion up front and by extension on the offensive side of the ball. The Giants know this as well, and will likely try to come after them by challenging their ability to win 1-on-1s as well as their chemistry with one another and within the entire offensive line. Because make no mistake: while they line up on the left, the impact of the change will be felt across the board.
For starters, center Garrett Bradbury will have to adapt to playing next to somebody he has limited experience with. Meanwhile, the Patriots might elect to give Lowe extra help on the edge, which in turn might put more pressure on Morgan Moses at right tackle.
Long story short, losing Campbell and Wilson will force the Patriots to adapt against a team fielding one of the NFL’s most talented defensive lines.
Its first game without standout tackle Milton Williams last Sunday was not particularly pretty for the Patriots defensive line. The heat provided by the pass rush was lukewarm at best, while holes popped up all over the run defense — a unit that was furthermore weakened by losing Khyiris Tonga just 12 snaps in.
Tonga is officially listed as questionable with a chest injury, but even if he is cleared there are questions about just how big his workload can realistically be. The Patriots, as a consequence, might give Eric Gregory a bigger share of the workload on Monday night: the 6-foot-4, 320-pounder is the next man up behind Tonga, and — together with fellow depth DTs Cory Durden and Jeremiah Pharms Jr. — needs to up his game against a Giants offense that has to moved the ball decently on the ground as of late.
Signing K’Lavon Chaisson to a one-year free agency contract has been a big success for the Patriots; the former first-round draft pick is tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks and first with 45 total pressures. But while he has performed well as a pass rusher, his run defense is leaving some to be desired: as opposed to fellow starting edge Harold Landry, Chaisson is far less consistent in the ground game.
Against the Giants, this might prove problematic. Not only are they ranked third in the NFL in rush attempts per game (30.2), they also have a quarterback who has proven himself capable of evading pressure to either extend plays or turn into a scrambler: Jaxson Dart is ranked second among all NFL quarterbacks with a rush EPA of 25.1, despite only starting seven games so far this season.
Chaisson giving up soft edges or showing uneven rush lane integrity — something that is true for all of the Patriots’ edge defenders — might put the team in difficult situations.
Jaxson Dart has attempted 204 pass attempts so far this season, and a quarter of them have gone toward wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. The four-year veteran has been the target of 54 of Dart’s passes, catching 37 of them for 371 yards and a touchdown; on the year, Robinson is ranked first on the Giants in targets (102), catches (66) and receiving yards (794) while also finding the end zone three total times.
Robinson is a versatile player moving between the perimeter and the inside, whose straight-line speed is one of his best attributes. When the Patriots go to man coverage, they might rely on a player whose skillset matches up well with him: Marcus Jones, who is in the middle of a career year as the Patriots’ third cornerback and top nickel defender.
