FOXBOROUGH – Under Mike Vrabel, the Patriots have already reached new heights.
At 10-2, the team has surpassed the combined win total of the previous two seasons (8-26). The Patriots are riding a nine-game win streak and have a chance to put together a 10-game winning streak for the first time in franchise history since 2015.
The only thing standing in their way is the 2-10 New York Giants.
If they win on Monday night, Vrabel will become the third head coach since 1970 to win 10-straight games in his first season with a team, joining Jim Caldwell (2009) and Steve Mariucci (1997).
Although the Giants’ record doesn’t look impressive, New York has proven to be a tough team to play against this season. They come to Foxborough with the Patriots riding high, but Vrabel’s team has looked shaky over the last two weeks. With injuries piling up, the Patriots have some question marks right now.
Here are five things to watch in the team’s Monday night matchup:
Offensive line
The Patriots will face off against a talented defensive line without the left side of their offensive line. The offense will be without left tackle Will Campbell (knee) and left guard Jared Wilson (ankle). Campbell is on the injured reserve, while Wilson will at least miss this game against the Giants. In their place, Vederian Lowe and Ben Brown take over.
Protecting Drake Maye is the most important job for the Patriots. They’ll have their hands full on Monday night against Pro Bowl defensive end Brian Burns, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, and No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter.
Run game
With injuries to the offensive line, the Patriots need to establish the run to avoid being one-dimensional. This is a big game for the Patriots’ running backs. The Giants enter this week ranked last in run defense, allowing 157.2 yards per game. They’re also last in the NFL in yards per rush allowed (5.93).
The Patriots went up against one of the worst run defenses last weekend in Cincinnati, but struggled, rushing for 107 total yards. The group also failed to score twice on the goal line. Rhamondre Stevenson returned in Cincinnati, but still looked limited with a toe injury. He started this week as a full participant. It’ll be a big game for him and TreVeyon Henderson.
Run defense
Giants rookie quarterback Jaxon Dart has been a handful in the seven games he’s played this season. Dart has been an efficient passer, but the Patriots need to be mindful of his ability as a runner. He has 10 passing touchdowns and three interceptions this season, but has also added seven touchdowns on the ground.
The Giants lost lead back Cam Skattebo, but they’ve still been efficient running the ball with Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. New York heads into this matchup ranked ninth in the NFL in rushing. The Patriots have the No. 2 run defense, but struggled last weekend without defensive tackle Milton Williams.
Red zone
To avoid an upset, the Patriots need to score touchdowns when in the red zone. Their inability to do so last weekend almost cost them against the Bengals. That game saw the offense fail to score a touchdown twice while on the 1-yard line. They came away from those two golden opportunities with 3 points scored.
The Patriots rank 19th in red zone offense, scoring touchdowns 54.8% of the time this season. They’re 27th in the NFL in goal-to-go situations. The Giants’ red zone defense is one of the worst in the NFL, ranked 31st, allowing teams to score 71.4% of the time. The Patriots need to take advantage of that.
Health
The Patriots are so close to their bye week. The team will get its first week of the season following the conclusion of their Monday night matchup. This break comes at a good time with the Patriots dealing with several injuries. Over the last two weeks, the Patriots have lost their best defensive lineman (Williams), left tackle (Campbell), left guard (Wilson), and special teams ace (Brenden Schooler).
Injuries happen to every team, but the Patriots need to come out of this game unscathed heading into their bye week. The hope is that they don’t lose any more core players before heading into the final four weeks of the NFL regular season.
Prediction: Patriots 23, Giants 20
