Week 6: Giants vs Patriots
Patriots run defense vs Giants running game
Saquon Barkley has been arguably the best RB in the league since being drafted by the Giants prior to the 2018 season. He's been a threat both on the ground and through the air. Unfortunately, the Giants will likely be without him on Thursday night. This is a big blow to them, as there is a huge drop off from him to any other RB they have on their roster.
Schematically, the Giants are a West Coast offense, much like the Redskins, so there is some carryover from last week. Other than the long TD play, where the defense seemingly forgot how to tackle, the Patriots' run defense was impenetrable.
New England's run defense with Hightower in the lineup has been superb through the first 5 weeks of the season. The defensive tackles have been excellent on the inside, their defensive ends have sealed off the edges, and their big and fast linebackers have contributed as well.
Match-up edge: Patriots
Patriots pass rush vs Giants pass protection
The Giants' pass protection has been very inconsistent this season, and the weak link on the line has been former Patriot Nate Solder at left tackle. Their rookie QB has been under tremendous pressure at times as a result.
The Patriots have one of the best pass rush units in the league. They currently rank 5th in terms of pressuring the QB without blitzing. This signifies that they are able to get to the QB with a 3 or 4 man rush. They do so with well designed and perfectly executed defensive line stunts. This is something that we have seen since last season, and the Patriots continue to be among the best in this regard. Look for them to attack Nate Solder with regularity on Thursday.
Match-up edge: Patriots.
Patriots pass defense vs Giants passing game
As previously stated, the Giants are a West Coast offense with spread concepts. They like to use a lot of vertical pass plays, a high amount of screen passes, creative formations, RPOs, and they like to involve their running backs in the passing game.
The Patriots have done well to suffocate West Coast offenses in recent years. Their extremely talented secondary can shut down those vertical pass concepts, and their defenders are adept at reading and reacting to screen passes. With the way this secondary has been performing, they should have another strong performance, especially with TE Evan Engram unlikely to play for the Giants.
Match-up edge: Patriots.
Patriots running game vs Giants run defense
The defensive line of the New York Giants has performed poorly in all facets in 2019. Defending the run has been an issue for them, despite the emphasis they've put on doing so.
The Patriots have had their share of struggles in the running game, but in the second half of the Redskins game, the run blocking and Sony Michel's legs seemed to come to life. This was almost a 2018 type performance from the team, but they will need to keep this going. At home against a subpar run defense seems like a great opportunity to continue this momentum for the ground game.
Match-up edge: Patriots.
Patriots pass protection vs Giants pass rush
The Giants' defensive line has struggled when it comes to generating a pass rush, in addition to the aforementioned problems against the run. The Giants are ranked 31st in the league when it comes to generating a pass rush without blitzing. This could be a fatal flaw for them against the Patriots. If they cannot get to Brady without blitzing, they may be forced to bring extra rushers, at which point Brady's receivers will have some one on one matchups that he can exploit.
New England's pass protection has been an issue over the last couple of games due to injuries across the offensive line. Marcus Cannon has been playing hurt, but one would think that his play will improve as he continues to heal. Shaq Mason has played poorly this season after a spectacular 2018. He too, is expected to turn things around throughout the season, as he has the talent, and the best offensive line coach in the league working with him.
Match-up edge: Even.
Patriots passing game vs Giants pass defense
The Giants, since about week 3 of the season, have made some tweaks to their defense. Most notably, they've played a lot more tight man coverage, whereas through the first two weeks, they played a lot more zone. They've played a lot of Cover 1 and Cover 2 Man, with some mixed results. They held the Redskins to 3 points, but struggled in their other two games. New York's secondary is giving up nearly 10 yards per pass and 280 yards per game, so their pass defense has been poor overall.
The Patriots' passing game has been strong in 2019, with the exception of week 4 against Buffalo. The Bills have one of the top two or three defenses in the league, however.
Last week showed the importance of the run game to the passing game. Once they got Sony Michel going on the ground, play action became a lot more effective, and it provided a spark for the passing attack.
Josh Gordon was removed from the injury report last week, and he looked good against the Redskins. Julian Edelman continues to get healthier each week after suffering a chest injury.
Tight man coverage has been able to slow the Patriots down at times this season, however, the Giants' linebackers can be exploited in coverage, and their secondary isn't very deep, so the Patriots should be able to move the ball.
Match-up edge: Patriots.
