After losing two starters on the offensive line last week in Cincinnati, the New England Patriots offense could still get back on track this week against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. This is easier said than done, as this defense will present a challenge to New England despite not being reflected in the rankings.
The Patriots have struggled all season long to establish any semblance of a consistent run game, but Week 13 could finally be the week to ignite the run game moving forward The Giants have the worst run defense in the NFL this season, allowing 157.2 rushing yards per game as of Sunday afternoon.
That said, the Giants have elite players in Bobby Okereke, Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and rookie Abdul Carter. Regardless of what the team’s record is and what some of the overall metrics on this defense read, this team has some of the best defenders in the league.
- Bobby Okereke: 107 tackles (5th)
- Brian Burns: 13.0 sacks (second)
- Abdul Carter: 17% pass rush win rate (10th)
This isn’t going to be easy by any means, but this is a game the Patriots can use to get back on track against some elite competition. Getting the running game to a place of reliability and comfort should be essential for New England as they embark on a deep playoff run led by a second-year quarterback in Drake Mays.
The Giants matchup is exactly what the Patriots’ offense needs
Mays has been performing at a high level this season and is in the running for MVP. He is able to move the offense down the field with accuracy in his throws and the confidence needed to run the offense. But Mayes needs a strong run game to score touchdowns when in the red zone, which has been a frustrating task for him this season.
As the season has progressed, the Patriots have become weary of calling different run concepts within different personnel packages. Although the Patriots had success with 21 and 22 personnel in their first season, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hasn’t done much with it since Week 4.
Adding more variety to the run game attack could allow the Patriots to revive it moving forward for the remainder of the season, and that could start this week against the Giants.
During the season, the Giants struggled the most when a running back handled more than 14 rushing attempts. Since Week 7, New York has seen five running backs handle at least 14 carries in their last six games, resulting in very big games for these running backs.
- Week 7: JK Dobbins – 14 carries, 81 yards
- Week 8: Saquon Barkley – 14 carries, 150 yards
- Week 9: Christian McCaffrey – 28 carries, 106 yards
- Week 10: D’Andre Swift – 13 carries, 80 yards
- Week 11: Emmanuel Wilson – 11 carries, 40 yards
- Week 12: Jahmir Gibbs – 15 carries, 219 yards
Teams have been successful in using this formula to attack the giants on the field. That said, since Week 8, rookie running back Treveon Henderson has seen an increase in workload in the run game, totaling 75 attempts for 405 yards and four touchdowns over the last five weeks. And since Week 9, Henderson has at least 14 rushing attempts in every game.
- Week 8: 10 carries, 75 yards
- Week 9: 14 carries, 55 yards
- Week 10: 14 carries, 147 yards
- Week 11: 19 carries, 62 yards
- Week 12: 18 carries, 66 yards
Henderson’s workload increased due to depth at the position and managing injuries. However, he is the most talented player on the team and was selected with the expectation that he would be a game-changer for the Patriots.
Patriots need to rely on experienced OL for run game success
With the starting left side of the offensive line injured and unavailable, it is clear that the strong side is now the right side behind veterans Morgan Moses and Mike Onwenu. However, Moses has a run block win rate of 79%, which ranks sixth in the NFL this season. espn Entering week 13.
The best opportunity to set up the run game will be running behind Moses, using him as a base for the run game. Statistically, this should work successfully, and it would be a good thing for this group to consider planning and building on that during their upcoming Week 14 run.
Mayes has been very good this season, but he can be even better with an improved run game. Incorporating different personnel packages against the Giants may be necessary for the Patriots’ offense to continue the run game.
More New England Patriots news and rumors:
<a href=