New England Patriots Starting QB Mac Jones Among 3 to Watch vs. New York Giants
The New England Patriots will attempt to return to the win column on Sunday against the New York Giants. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
This Week 12 matchup will mark the first regular-season meeting between the two teams since Oct. 2019 when the Patriots beat the Giants, 35-14, at Gillette Stadium. The Pats enter this matchup on the heels of a 10-6 Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany. Conversely, the Giants are hoping to continue their winning ways after a 31-19 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Though many Patriots players are expected to garner some attention during Sunday’s matchup, here are three players that might raise an eyebrow when the Pats take the field against the Giants.
Mac Jones
While the mystery surrounding the identity of team’s starting quarterback has dominated the New England news cycle for the past two weeks, the Pats have seemingly decided on Jones to start things off on Sunday against the Giants.
The third-year product of Alabama has completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 2,031 yards, 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions through the season’s first 10 games.
Though there have been some signs of his ability to competently lead his team, Jones has routinely struggled with his field vision, timing and decision-making, often leading to disastrous results. His discomfort in the pocket has led to a foundering of both his confidence and his mechanics — as well as his being benched in three of New England’s games to date.
Still, the Pats wisely exhibited caution in deciding not to demote him for their Week 12 contest. Jones’ experience is likely to have been a key factor in choosing to start him over second-year backup Bailey Zappe — especially considering the defensive style of Giants defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale.
New England Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson, QB Mac Jones
Cred: USA Today Images
New England is in dire need of productivity on offense. Entering their Week 11 bye, the Patriots offense ranked No. 31 in the NFL, averaging 14.1 points per game. Conversely, the Giants rank No. 22 in the NFL, allowing 236.5 passing yards-per-game, while yielding seven yards-per-pass play. While Martindale has been known to inject a heavy dose of second and third-level blitzes, his approach has been more evenly spread as of late — primarily to reduce the pressure on New York’s young secondary. As such, Jones is the Pats’ best option for spreading the field to create opportunities for their pass catchers. Should he find success in doing so, Jones will find it a bit easier to identify pre-snap pressure to not only stay ahead of the blitz, but also help neutralize New York’s aggressive defensive front.
Rhamondre Stevenson
Despite getting off to a slow start, the Pats’ running backs have been their best positional group to date. Rhamondre Stevenson has logged 126 carries for 482 yards (3.8 yards-per-carry) with three touchdowns. Accordingly, New England may look to get Stevenson involved early and often. The Oklahoma product is at his best when blending his physical, powerful running style with his vision and athleticism to make tacklers miss in short-yardage situational runs. He also demonstrates an uncanny knack for utilizing the open field as an available target from both the backfield, as well as the line of scrimmage. The Giants run defense ranks at No. 29 in the NFL, allowing 135.1 yards per game on the ground. Whether it be as a carrier or receiver, the third-year back should be a focal point of the Pats offense against the Giants.
Jahlani Tavai
Tavai has been one of New England’s most-pleasant surprises in 2023. The Hawaii product has played in all 10 of the team’s games, logging 61 total tackles (two, for loss), three quarterback hits, four passes-defensed, one interception and one forced fumble. He also has the lowest passer rating allowed (with a minimum of 20 targets faced) in the NFL with 54.0. Tavai’s aggression and on-field savvy may also play a role in helping to contain Giants running back Saquan Barkley, when he is deployed as a backfield receiver, as well as on the ground. Should New York attempt to isolate Barkley on a linebacker, Tavai has both the speed an power to accept the challenge.
