New England Patriots def. New York Giants: Week 10 Reaction
By Erik Lambert
Nov 15, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski (3) celebrates after kicking the game-winning field goal against the New York Giants during the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
As if anybody had any doubt it would be close. Once again the New England Patriots and New York Giants staged a thriller for football fans in week 10. Again it came down to a last-minute drive to win the game. This time though, Tom Brady finally exorcised some demons as he was able to put his team in position for a 54-yard field goal that came up good for a narrow 27-26 triumph, pushing the Patriots to 9-0.
Here are a couple other quick takeaways from the game.
Malcolm Butler is no longer just a Super Bowl hero
The stat sheet won’t show it, but Malcolm Butler did a terrific job all game frustrating star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Most of his 104 yards came on his 87-yard TD catch to open the game. After that he was able to accomplish little against Butler, who has morphed from a Super Bowl hero into a legitimate NFL starting corner.
Giants offensive line were primary culprit in loss
If there was one area that told the tale of this game, it was in the trenches where the Patriots defensive front controlled the action for the most part against the Giants offensive line. New York generated just 80 yards rushing and Eli Manning was sacked three times, one of which resulted in a turnover. It’s no coincidence the Giants were 1-for-5 in the red zone. Inability to finish drives cost them the game.
Don’t sleep on a possible rematch in February
Here’s something important to remember. The last two times these teams have met in the regular season, they met again in the Super Bowl. It’s not hard seeing the Patriots make it there given they’re the defending champs and the Giants, while 5-5 are still leading their division and have shown in prior years they can handle playoff runs that feature lots of road games. So perhaps the NFL could be in store for a “Thrilla in Manila” version of this classic rivalry.