Missed field goal leads to fourth straight loss for New England

“Obviously did not do my job well there. I’ve got to be better,” said Ryland, a rookie who was drafted in the fourth round in April and has made 12 of 18 field goal attempts this season.

Patriots backup quarterback Bailey Zappe entered the game to start the second half after a disastrous start by Mac Jones, who was 12-for-21 for 89 yards and two interceptions in the first half. Zappe completed 9 of 14 pass attempts for 54 yards and threw one interception.

“It’s my job to play well regardless of the circumstances, so there’s no excuses,” Jones said.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick would not say which quarterback would start the next game.

Rhamondre Stevenson carried 21 times for 98 yards for the Patriots (2-9), and Ezekiel Elliott added nine carries for 46 yards. The Giants are 4-8.

“We were able to run the ball pretty well for the most part, but you can’t be one-dimensional,” Patriots center David Andrews said.

Giants rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, making his third start after being thrust into action off the New York practice squad because of injuries to Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor, completed 17 of 25 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown.

The Giants took a 7-0 lead in the first half shortly after intercepting a Jones pass and returning it to the New England 26. Isaiah Hodgins caught a touchdown pass from Tommy DeVito and steamrolled Jonathan Jones en route to the end zone for a 12-yard score.

Zappe promptly led the Patriots on a 60-yard touchdown drive that was capped by a 7-yard run by Stevenson that tied the score at 7-7.

The Giants scored the game-winning points after Zappe was intercepted by Xavier McKinney, who returned it 18 yards to the Patriots’ 23. The Patriots kept the Giants out of the end zone, but Randy Bullock’s 42-yard field goal attempt split the uprights.

The Patriots will face the Chargers at Gillette Stadium next Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Patriots-Giants: live updates

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Here’s what both Patriots quarterbacks had to say — 5:26 p.m.

Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe split time at quarterback for the Patriots on Sunday in a 10-7 loss to the Giants. Jones was benched at halftime after throwing two interceptions in a brutal first-half performance.

“Coach [Bill] O’Brien told me I was out, and I understood,” Jones said. “I wasn’t moving the ball, I wasn’t scoring points, so I understand why that happened.”

Zappe took over to start the second half and immediately led New England’s only scoring drive of the day, going 6 for 6 through the air before Rhamondre Stevenson punched it in from 7 yards out.

“[Jones] just said ‘go out there and win,’” Zappe said.

That was all the offense Zappe could muster.

“I think that just comes down to me not doing to my job,” Zappe said. “Incompletions, turnovers, it comes down to the quarterback, and I take that, that’s on me. Second half we started hot, marched right down and scored, and I have to be able to keep the team going, keep the energy up, keep the team going throughout the second half and I wasn’t able to do that, that’s on me.”

Read more here.

David Andrews backs Bill Belichick — 4:44 p.m.

New England center and captain David Andrews had some difficult questions to answer in the aftermath of another deflating defeat.

Much of the talk following the game surrounded the quarterbacks after Mac Jones was benched again in favor of Bailey Zappe at the end of two weeks of speculation as to who would be calling the signals Sunday.

“Those are coaches’ decisions,” Andrews said of the quarterback carousel. “We all just have to do a better job, we have to play better as a football team. Turnovers, all that, it’s team-involved. We have to be better as a football team, better as an offense.”

Andrews also supported coach Bill Belichick.

“That’s my head coach, I believe in him, he brought me in this league. I’ll go down fighting with him,” he said.

Read more here.

Instant analysis: The losses keep getting worse — 4:21 p.m.

As if there were any doubts, Sunday’s loss sealed it: It’s over for Bill Belichick. The show is over. The magic is gone. The man has no answers.

Recent losses to the Commanders and Colts were bad, but this one was worse, losing to a terrible Giants team and undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, who led the Giants to just 220 total yards.

Belichick had two weeks to prepare his team after the bye, and the Patriots came out flat, sloppy and unprepared, particularly on offense. The defense held its opponent to 10 points in consecutive games, and his team couldn’t win either game.

Read more from Ben Volin here.

Patriots miss field goal attempt — 3:55 p.m.

Patriots kicker Chad Ryland missed a 35-yard field goal with 6 seconds left.

That seems like the only way for this game to end, as Ryland hooked a 35-yard field goal wide left and the Patriots will drop to 2-9.

Myles Bryant set the Patriots up with great field position after taking the punt back to the 50, and Bailey Zappe drove New England into field goal range, converting a huge fourth and 4 from the Giants 44 with the game on the line to JuJu Smith-Schuster. Rhamondre Stevenson carried multiple defenders on a gritty 13-yard run to get a little closer and give Ryland what looked like a chip shot, but wasn’t meant to be.

Another drive to nowhere for Patriots — 3:39 p.m.

That drive went nowhere in a hurry, with Jihad Ward blowing through a double team — steamrolling David Andrews in the process — to sack Bailey Zappe on third-and-11. The Patriots punted with 5:40 to go, and they might only have one or two more chances to win this game.

Giants take the lead — 3:31 p.m.

Giants 10, Patriots 7 | 8:10 left fourth quarter

The Giants got a 41-yard field goal from Randy Bullock to take a 10-7 lead in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots defense did well to hold the Giants to just a field goal after Bailey Zappe’s interception put them up against the wall. Zappe will need to lead a scoring drive in the final 8 minutes to give New England a chance now.

• Zappe might throw into double- and triple-coverage more than Mac Jones does. Jones does it under pressure. Zappe does it because he doesn’t seem to see the field well. – Finn

Now it’s Zappe’s turn to be intercepted — 3:25 p.m.

Not to be outdone by his predecessor, Bailey Zappe joined in on the bad interception party as Xavier McKinney read him all the way to pick off Zappe trying to find JuJu Smith-Schuster on a deep crossing route. The Giants are already in field goal range with a chance to take the lead.

Third-quarter analysis: Zappe provides a spark — 3:20 p.m.

Three quarters are down here, and the Patriots and Giants are tied at seven.

• Bailey Zappe started at quarterback for the Patriots to open the second half, and provided a spark, immediately leading New England on its first scoring drive of the game. Take it for what you will, but as sluggish as the Patriots’ offense was for large stretches of the first half, there was an energy that wasn’t there with Mac Jones under center.

• Get the ball out quickly. That’s the directive at this point for whoever is at quarterback. Screens, quick outs, and the like. Decisive, decisive, decisive. That’s what Zappe was able to do on the first series of the second half, guiding an 11-play, 60-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown from Rhamondre Stevenson, the first score of the day for the Patriots.

• Jalin Hyatt is making himself some money today at the expense of J.C. Jackson. He caught a 41-yarder midway through the third quarter to get New York out of a third-and-long situation. He has four catches on five targets for 104 yards so far. (Hyatt had 12 catches on the season coming into Sunday’s game.)

• Odd sequence with less than a minute to go on a fourth-and-inches. New England faked a wildcat, then a tight-end sneak, and then called time out (hope they don’t end up needing that). The Patriots ended up punting, but Hunter Henry gets points for his acting job.

Patriots’ trickery doesn’t work — 3:14 p.m.

Ezekiel Elliott broke off a couple strong runs to get the Patriots out of the shadow of their own end zone, but they wouldn’t get much farther. Bailey Zappe somehow escaped the grasp of Bobby Okereke and shoveled it to Rhamondre Stevenson who looked like he had a first down, but Giants coach Brian Daboll successfully challenged the spot to bring up fourth and 1.

New England tried some trickery with Elliott lining up in the wildcat and Hunter Henry coming under center, but the Giants wouldn’t jump and Bill Belichick chose to punt instead of going for it from his own 39.

Patriots tie it up — 2:53 p.m.

Patriots 7, Giants 7 | 8:02 left third quarter

Strong start for the Bailey Zappe-led offense, tying the game on a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown run to close out an 11-play, 60-yard scoring drive. After the Giants’ kickoff went out of bounds to set the Patriots up at their own 40, Stevenson immediately broke off a 13-yard run to move the ball over midfield, and Zappe made a couple nice throws — he was 6 for 6 on his first possession — to get New England into the red zone. Stevenson did the rest, and the Patriots finally have some life.

Bailey Zappe in at quarterback for Patriots — 2:44 p.m.

Backup quarterback Bailey Zappe came into the game to start the second half for the Patriots after starter Mac Jones played badly in the first half.

The Patriots received the second-half kickoff.

Jones completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for 89 yards. He also threw two interceptions.

Halftime analysis: The Patriots offense looks bad — 2:31 p.m.

Two quarters are in the books at MetLife Stadium, and the Giants have a 7-0 lead.

Stats: Mac Jones: 12-21, 89 yards, 2 INTs; Rhamondre Stevenson: 10 carries, 44 yards; DeVante Parker: 3 catches, 5 targets, 42 yards; Demario Douglas: 3 catches, 6 targets, 26 yards; Tommy DeVito: 10-17, 117 yards, 1 TD

• It was a mostly listless, sluggish first half for the Patriots’ offense. New England punted three times, Jones threw two interceptions, and the Patriots failed to get a sniff of the end zone. (For what it’s worth, an occasional glance at the sideline showed that backup Bailey Zappe didn’t appear to be heating up in a relief role at all.)

• The defense does deserve some acknowledgment for holding New York to seven points. It is the Giants and Tommy DeVito under center after all, but there is some fight left on that side of the ball for the Patriots. As we’ve said on several occasions this season, this is a team that’s fighting with one hand tied behind its back.

• In a contest where it looks like the first team to 10 points is going to win, the Patriots’ decision not to try and kick what would have been a 54-yard field goal in the first quarter could come back to haunt them. New England did get an excellent punt from Bryce Baringer that pinned the Giants at their own six-yard line, but even passing up the chance for points could prove costly.

• Jones has been underwhelming, and that’s putting it politely. The quarterback tossed a pick at the end of the first quarter off his back foot into a flock of New York defenders. His second interception came with just over four minutes left in the half, and was a drive killer that Bobby Okereke took into New England territory.

• The New England passing game made some quality gains midway through the second quarter when Jones and the offense focused on getting the ball to Douglas, Parker, and others in space with a series of quick-outs and slants. One of the highlights came on a successful slant from Jones to DeVante Parker that picked up 17 yards on third-and-15. That drive ended with an interception — the second of the day for Jones — by Okereke. New York turned that into the first touchdown of the day, a six-play, 26-yard drive that ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass from DeVito to Isaiah Hodgins with 1:53 left in the first half.

• One good thing? Jabrill Peppers has also been an active presence on defense, scooping up the botched handoff in the early going to register the takeaway. He also added a first-quarter sack. Best thing about the New England defense.

• From a special teams perspective, Bryce Baringer has been the best thing about this game for the Patriots. He’s consistently delivered booming punts, and done more than his part to tilt the field. He’s punted it four times, with an average of 44.5 yards per attempt.

• The Patriots will get the ball to start the second half. We’ll see who comes out to start at quarterback.

Mac Jones nearly turns it over again. And then again. — 2:23 p.m.

Mac Jones flirted with more danger on the ensuing possession after the Giants scored. A deep shot into double coverage on the first play was nearly intercepted, then Jones fumbled while scrambling up the middle and was bailed out by Cole Strange diving on the football. It’s just another three and out, but could’ve been much worse yet again.

• Think Belichick changes QBs at halftime? Zappe isn’t good, but he can’t be worse. – Finn

Giants connect for first touchdown — 2:17 p.m.

Giants 7, Patriots 0 | 1:43 left second quarter

The Giants are on the board first after Mac Jones’s interception set them up with excellent field position, thanks to a touchdown from Isaiah Hodgins, who caught a pass from Tommy DeVito and steamrolled New England’s Jonathan Jones en route to the end zone for a 12-yard score.

The Patriots defense was done no favors by the offense, but some very bad tackling had a lot to do with that drive ending in a touchdown instead of a field goal.

Another bad interception for Mac Jones — 2:08 p.m.

Have to wonder how much leash Mac Jones has left. After driving the Patriots to the edge of the red zone, with a huge chance at the day’s first points, Jones threw another bad pick that led to a 55-yard return, and it’s the Giants on the brink of a score now. Things continue to spiral for New England’s signal-caller.

• The Patriots are lucky Bobby Okereke didn’t return that throw by Mac Jones for a touchdown. They had advanced all the way to New York’s 23-yard line only to have Jones turn the ball over again in a critical situation. If the Patriots are going to make a change at quarterback, the second half seems to be an optimal time.

Credit to rookie Sidy Sow for hustling to tackle Okereke. – Yang

Signs of life for the Patriots — 2:06 p.m.

On their latest drive, which started at their own 8-yard-line, the Patriots are moving the ball, using a lot of quick, short passes to make quick gains.

• That’s all the New England passing game should be right now. A series of quick outs and slants to Pop Douglas and others. Get them the ball in space and let them make guys miss. Don’t go downfield at all. – Price

• Demario Douglas with three catches for 26 yards on this drive so far. – Finn

Patriots punt again — 1:56 p.m.

Another three and out for the Patriots, who opted to run it on third and 9 and nearly moved the chains through Ezekiel Elliott but came up just short and decided not to chance it on fourth and 1.

• That run illustrated Elliott’s lack of burst. He had room but just couldn’t get there. – Finn

Patriots stick with Jones — 1:48 p.m.

• The Patriots are sticking with Mac Jones as their quarterback, even after that horrible decision that led to an interception. – Yang

• How bad must Zappe be in practice? – Finn

• A quick Google search reveals the fact that there hasn’t been an 0-0 game in NFL history since 1943. – Price

First-quarter analysis — 1:43 p.m.

By Chris Price

One quarter is in the books here at MetLife Stadium, and the Patriots and Giants are locked in the throes of a scoreless tie.

Stats: Rhamondre Stevenson: 6 carries, 23 yards; Mac Jones: 4-9, 37 yards, 1 INT; Saquon Barkley: 4 carries, 37 yards

• Mac Jones, who got the start, tossed his first pick of the game at the end of the first quarter on a ball intended for Demario Douglas. A bad ball into a spot with multiple defenders.

• Third-down passing opportunities went to DeVante Parker and Tyquan Thornton. Both failed to convert. Ezekiel Elliott did well to pick up a third-down chance on a pass play from Mac Jones, but Jones and the Patriots need to find more reliable third-down options on a regular basis. (Hunter Henry? Rhamondre Stevenson?)

• Interesting call from coach Bill Belichick when the Patriots elected not to go for it near midfield late in the first quarter. It would have been a 54-yard field goal attempt — in a game that figures to have a small margin for error, I wonder if that’ll come back to haunt New England. (Bryce Baringer did deliver an excellent punt that pinned the Giants on their own six-yard line.)

• The two teams traded miscues in the early going. A botched handoff from New York’s Tommy DeVito was recovered by Jabrill Peppers, but a delay-of-game call on New England (on the ensuing third down) put the Patriots in a third-and-long. That ended in the first punt of the day from Baringer.

• If this game ends up as a battle of the punters, I’ll take Baringer. He’s been one of the best in the league at titling the field coming into the game (he’s leading the league in punts dropped inside the 20).

• New York’s Jalin Hyatt cooked the New England secondary on a pair of nice connections early, including a 29-yarder.

• A few early lineup notes: J.C. Jackson was back with the starting defense, while Conor McDermott started at left tackle in place of Trent Brown. Brown entered the game at left tackle with 2:01 left in the first quarter.

Patriots’ third possession ends with interception — 1:39 p.m.

The Patriots started from their own 20 after a Giants punt resulted in a touchback, but gave the ball right back when Mac Jones’s throw was intercepted.

Jones threw off his back foot into double coverage, and the results were predictable: His first interception of the day, and the Giants are well set up near midfield at the end of the first quarter.

• Offensive lineman Trent Brown is in for the Patriots on this drive. – Price

Patriots pass up chance at 54-yard field goal — 1:27 p.m.

The Patriots’ second drive ended when Tyquan Thornton failed to catch a pass on third down from the Giants’ 37. Rather than attempt a 54-yard field goal, the Patriots elected to punt.

The Patriots’ second drive was a little more promising, starting with a 19-yard gain on a screen pass to DeVante Parker and getting to the Giants’ 37 relying mostly on Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott, but Mac Jones throw behind Tyquan Thornton on a third-and-7 slant route to cut the drive short there. Bill Belichick decided to pass on a 54-yard field goal and let Bryce Baringer pin the Giants at the 6-yard line instead with his second punt.

• I am stunned the Patriots just elected to punt from New York’s 37-yard line. One of kicker Chad Ryland’s biggest selling points was his leg strength. If the Patriots are not confident he can make a 54-yard field goal — in a season where points are extremely hard to come by — they should not have drafted him in the fourth round. – Yang

First-quarter notes — 1:23 p.m.

• The Patriots have had two possessions, and one delay of game penalty on each.

• Jalin Hyatt already has two catches for 51 yards for the Giants. He came in with just 12 catches on the season, but he does average 18.4 yards per grab. – Finn

Fumble ends Giants’ first drive — 1:08 p.m.

An ugly start that befits this game on both sides: The Giants drove to the New England 26 before fumbling on a fairly routine jet sweep handoff to Wan’Dale Robinson, and the Patriots responded by going three-and-out, taking a delay of game penalty on third and 2 that also saved Mac Jones and the offense from a botched snap and a potential fumble. It’s looking like a long afternoon at MetLife Stadium. – Touri

• One possession for each team, and this is shaping up to be a hideous football game. – Finn

Chad Finn’s players to watch and prediction — 12:45 p.m.

Patriots player to watch: If the Patriots actually are intent on winning this game, it will be the Rhamondre Stevenson/Ezekiel Elliott combo at running back. The Giants are weak against the run, and the Patriots have done a fine job in the ground game lately, particularly given how inept the passing offense has been. But I’m still wondering why Stevenson got just 9 carries against the Commanders. The Patriots didn’t give themselves the best chance to win that day. Will they today?

Giants player to watch: Saquon Barkley, in the passing game. The Patriots have been stellar against the run, particularly since Christian Barmore emerged a disruptive force about a month ago. But four of Barkley’s five touchdowns have come on receptions.

Prediction: Patriots, 19-17. Yes, the Patriots are intent on winning this game – even though a well-played loss is the best thing for them in the long run.

Pregame observations and scenes — 12:30 p.m.

• In warmups, Patriots QB Mac Jones is wearing the playcall armband on his left arm. Bailey Zappe is not.

• Giants coach Brian Daboll just came over to share an embrace with Mac Jones.

• JC Jackson taking snaps with the starting defense in warmups

Nicole Yang’s players to watch and prediction — 12:20 p.m.

Patriots player to watch: The running backs. Ezekiel Elliott said it himself after the loss in Germany: The Patriots should lean into their ground game. The Giants have ceded a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns this season, with opponents averaging 135.1 rushing yards per game. Given New England’s passing attack deficiencies, it would be wise to ride the tandem of Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Giants player to watch: Kayvon Thibodeaux. The 2022 fifth overall pick leads the Giants and ranks sixth in the league with 10.5 sacks this season. If Mac Jones does indeed start at quarterback for the Patriots, and the Giants are able to mount significant pressure from the get-go, the Patriots’ offense could be in trouble. The loss in Frankfurt showed how much Jones can be spooked by an effective pass rush.

Prediction: Giants 13, Patriots 6. On paper, the Patriots should have a chance at winning this game, but they have yet to show they can take advantage of those opportunities.

Patriots inquired about Tommy DeVito — 12:02 p.m.

By Chris Price

A league source confirmed Sunday that the Patriots “inquired” about the possibility of adding quarterback Tommy DeVito to the practice squad before the start of the regular season, but the New Jersey native opted to go with the Giants.

DeVito ended up sticking with coach Brian Daboll and the Giants, and was set to start Sunday against the Patriots.

Meanwhile, New England has shuffled through a variety of backup quarterbacks since the start of the year, a group that includes Bailey Zappe, Will Grier, Ian Book, and others.The 25-year-old DeVito, who was also reportedly in talks to join the Commanders, has made two starts this year heading into Sunday’s action, completing 61 percent of his passes for 506 yards, with six touchdowns and three interceptions.

Report: Mac Jones to start for the Patriots — 11:46 a.m.

The NFL’s media agency reported on Sunday that Mac Jones would start at quarterback for the Patriots against the Giants. It also said backup Bailey Zappe would “likely mix in as well.”

Jones, who was benched for the final two minutes of the Patriots’ loss in Germany two weeks ago, has been under heavy scrutiny and the NFL’s report indicated he split the repetitions in practices this week with Zappe, who took over for Jones late in a loss to the Colts in Frankfurt.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick dodged all questions during the week regarding the starting quarterback situation by saying every player needed to be ready for action.

Inactives and analysis — 11:35 a.m.

Patriots: CB Alex Austin; RB Jamycal Hasty; T Verderian Lowe; WR Jalen Reagor; DE Sam Roberts

Giants: RB Jashaun Corbin; S Gervarrius Owens; OLB Boogie Basham; T Evan Neal; DL Dexter Lawrence

Chris Price’s analysis: It’s all healthy scratches for New England this afternoon, as a cross-section of backups and newcomers will sit for today’s game against the Giants.

Among the notable actives is left tackle Trent Brown, who has dealt with multiple injuries over the course of the season, and was on the injury report this week with an ankle issue. This will be his first start since Oct. 29 against the Dolphins. In addition, cornerback J.C. Jackson, who has been in and out of the lineup over the last month because of a variety of issues, is dressed and ready to play.

Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, who has been dealing with a hamstring issue for the better part of a month (today is the first time he’ll be playing since early last month), is apparently good to go.

It should also be an interesting day for the receivers: Kayshon Boutte and Tyquan Thornton are both active, while DeVante Parker is set to go for the first time since sustaining a concussion last month against Miami.

Patriots facing an old friend — 11:10 a.m.

The Patriots will face a familiar foe and one of their biggest nemeses on Sunday when they play the Giants and coach Brian Daboll.

“Brian’s a really good play-caller, does a really good job keeping us off balance,” Bill Belichick said this past week. “We saw that certainly in multiple games against him in Buffalo.”

Yes, the Patriots certainly did. Belichick has coached 442 games with the Patriots in 24 years, and only twice was his defense unable to force a single punt.

One was a 33-21 loss to the Bills in Week 16 of the 2021 season with Daboll calling Buffalo’s offensive plays. The other came three weeks later, a 47-17 beatdown in the wild-card playoffs in which Daboll pitched a “perfect game,” with the Bills scoring a touchdown on all seven of their possessions.

Read Volin’s full column here.

Chris Price’s players to watch and prediction — 11:00 a.m.

Patriots player to watch: Rhamondre Stevenson. The back has rushed for 175 yards combined in the last two games, and appears to be rounding into form after an occasionally sluggish start. Against New York’s occasionally leaky run defense, it sets up as a real opportunity for him to reach the 100-yard mark for the first time this season.

Giants player to watch: Tommy Devito. The New York quarterback holds the game in his hands this afternoon. If the New England defense can throw him a few curveballs, the Patriots could remain unbeaten at MetLife this season.

Prediction: New York, 13-10. This is certainly a winnable game for the Patriots – maybe the most winnable one that’s left on their schedule –  but New England hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to coin-flip contests like this one.

Patriots-Giants history — 10:50 a.m.

The Patriots have played the Giants once at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., which is also home to the New York Jets. In November of 2015, the Patriots defeated the Giants on a last-second field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.

Overall, the Patriots and Giants have faced off 11 times in the regular season and New England has a 7-4 lead. The Giants have won their only two playoff meetings – in Super Bowl XLII in 2008 and Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.

New England is 12-3 at MetLife, where they have gone 11-3 against the Jets since the stadium’s opening in 2010.

How to watch Patriots-Giants — 10:40 a.m.

Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium will be televised on Fox, which can be seen on Channel 25 in the Boston area. The broadcast features Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (analyst), and Shannon Spake (sideline reporter).

The game will also be broadcast on Boston radio station 98.5 The Sports Hub, featuring Bob Socci (play-by-play) and Scott Zolak (analyst).

Tale of the tape — 10:30 a.m.

The Giants and Patriots are both near the bottom of the NFL in many team stats categories, and Sunday’s game could be a real dud when it comes to offense because these teams are last and second-to-last when it comes to scoring average.

One stat matchup to watch: The Patriots have the ninth-ranked rushing defense, while the Giants are 13th in rushing offense.

Here is a comparison of a few other key metrics (NFL rank in parentheses).

Points per game: Patriots 14.1 (31); Giants 13.5 (32)

Points allowed: Patriots (23.8 (23, tie); Giants 25.9 (28)

Total offense: Patriots 295.5 (26); Giants 262.2 (32)

Total defense: Patriots 326.5 (16); Giants 371.6 (28)

Takeaway/giveaway ratio: Patriots -6 (26, tie); Giants +3 (9, tie)

Sunday’s weather forecast — 10:20 a.m.

According to AccuWeather, it will be mostly cloudy at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, with a high temperature of 50 degrees. The forecast calls for a temperature of 48 degrees at kickoff, and not much wind (maximum gusts will only be 3 m.p.h). Conditions are good for football.

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Matt Pepin can be reached at [email protected]. Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected]. Nicole Yang can be reached at [email protected] her @nicolecyang. Christopher Price can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @cpriceglobe.