Patriots Player Power Rankings: Tom Brady and Malcolm Butler finish strong after rough starts
COMMENTARY
This game was supposed to be different.
Before kickoff, the New York Giants pass rush didn’t look formidable, and the New England Patriots offense was unstoppable. There was no way this game would look like those two Super Bowls between these two teams, right?
And yet it did. The storyline regressed, as the Giants pressured Tom Brady, who looked frantic at times in the pocket. The Patriots offensive line missed Nate Solder … and Sebastian Vollmer … and Marcus Cannon. When the Patriots punted the ball away, Eli Manning was ready to exploit an overmatched New England secondary.
Of course, the big difference between this game and the Super Bowl matchups: the Patriots won, 27-26.
10. Julian Edelman — The receiver had four catches, three first downs, and 53 yards. When he went down with a foot injury, Brady struggled to find a rhythm and clearly missed his go-to receiver.
9. Malcom Brown — With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the rookie sacked Eli Manning to end a 86-yard drive — it would be the last time Manning touched the ball. The Giants were forced to kick a field goal, and on the ensuing drive the Patriots took the lead and the win.
8. Cameron Flemming — In his first start ever at left tackle, Flemming allowed five hurries but no sacks, via NESN.com. Reminder: He was on the practice squad two weeks ago.
7. Rob Ninkovich — With the Patriots trailing 23-17, Ninkovich opened the fourth quarter with a 13-yard sack, which led to huge shift in momentum. The Giants punted two plays later — and another two plays later, Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a 76-yard touchdown.
6. Malcolm Butler — The cornerback allowed an 87-yard touchdown reception to Odell Beckham Jr. on the Giants’ second play, and he was flagged for a pass interference (which was undeserved). But he had the most important pass break-up — and perhaps play — of the game, when he poked the ball out of Beckham’s hands in the endzone preventing a go-ahead touchdown with two minutes left to play.
“It’s all about finishing,’’ he told reporters after the game.
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5. Chandler Jones — The Giants’ offense was clicking in the second quarter, as they charged into the Patriots’ redzone. Jones registered a strip sack and ended a drive that seemed sure to end with at least three points
4. Tom Brady — When the game seem to be slipping away from the Patriots on a few occasions, Brady put up points. However, he struggled at times carrying the injury-riddled offensive unit, and finished the day with 334 yards, two touchdowns, an interception, and a lost fumble.
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3. Danny Amendola — The wideout finished with 79 yards on 10 catches, three of which came on the Patriots’ game-winning drive, including a 12-yard catch on a 4th-and-10.
2. Rob Gronkowksi — Gronk finished with 113 yards and a touchdown. The 76-yard touchdown catch was the mirror image of Beckham’s in the first quarter: a deep throw, a missed tackle from the safety, and a free run into the endzone.
1. Stephen Gostkowski — What a kick. What a game.
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