NFL Game Picks Week 10: New England Patriots at New York Giants
By Erik Lambert
Aug 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Andre Williams (44) breaks tackle and makes a long gain against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
They may not meet that often, but two cities and two teams don’t have a richer recent history of high-stakes football than the New England Patriots and New York Giants. Whom does the NFL games picks favor this week?
Backdrop:
There is so much history to this matchup. Two of the last three meetings between the Giants and Patriots have been in the Super Bowl. So it’s safe to say that the two haven’t forgotten each other, especially in the case of the Patriots who lost both those meetings in utter heartbreaking fashion (see Tyree and Manningham catches).
Now both teams lead their respective divisions but it’s almost an exact replica of how their rivalry started eight years ago. New England is undefeated, led by an unconscious Tom Brady and a near-unstoppable passing attack. New York is battled-tested in a tough division with a quarterback and head coach who put forth their best every time they see the Patriots.
Matchup To Watch:
Jason Pierre-Paul vs. Sebastian Vollmer
Mangled as his hand might be, the Giants are grateful to have Jason Pierre-Paul back. It’s a much-needed infusion for what has been an otherwise ineffective pass rush. They will need him to lead the way in this game because the secret to New York’s success against Tom Brady has been their ability to pressure him.
For that to happen, JPP needs to set the tone against left tackle Sebastian Vollmer, who was forced to switch that spot from the right side after Nate Solder went down for the year. Vollmer has allowed two sacks in three games since the shift, which means he could be vulnerable. Pierre-Paul will be tasked with proving it.
Key Stat:
The is an obvious one for those who have followed both teams. New England has one of the best passing offenses in the league (325 yards per game). They’ll be going against a Giants defense that has allowed 307 per game for the season (31st in NFL). Tom Brady would be crazy to not exploit that with weapons like Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.
At the same time it’s worth noting that aside from their ugly game down in New Orleans, the Giants haven’t allowed more than 250 since October 19th and have also forced 13 turnovers in the previous four games. Expect that to be a factor as well.
Prediction: Patriots win 33-23
The fundamental difference between this game and the previous ones is the Giants defense. It isn’t at the level it was four years ago and especially not eight years ago. Though they have some good players, it’s a unit that hasn’t been playing with any consistency. That makes them easy picking for quarterbacks like Brady.