Patriots Dominate Giants in First Half

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are attempting to continue their winning ways against the New York Giants in a Week 13 showdown at Gillette Stadium.

The Patriots (10-2) enter this matchup on the heels of a 26-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Conversely, the Giants (2-10) are fresh off a 34-27 Week 12 loss to the Detroit Lions. A victory over New York this week will give the Patriots their 11th win of the season while also extending their winning streak to 10 straight.

The Pats and Giants have each had their share of ups and downs during this matchup. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has looked every bit the part of an MVP candidate, having completed 16-of-20 passes for 208 yards with two touchdowns thus far, with the Giants set to have the ball to begin the second half. 

In that vein, here is a look at the action from the first half from Foxborough, where the Pats hold a 30-7 lead.

First Quarter: Patriots Dominate Early

New England provided the night’s first points, traveling 49 yards on 12 plays on the opening drive. While the Patriots moved the ball well, as evidenced by Maye’s 13-yard completion to receiver Stefon Diggs and a nine-yard connection with Hunter Henry, the Pats were unable to penetrate the Giants’ bend-don’t-break defense in the red zone. The Pats capped the drive with a 22-yard field goal from rookie kicker Andres Borregales, giving them an early 3-0 lead.

With the Patriots' defense forcing the Giants to punt on their first offensive drive, returner Marcus Jones made his presence felt in a big way. Jones returned New York punter Jamie Gillian’s punt 94 yards for the touchdown — his second of the season. With the score, Jones tied Julian Edelman (Jan. 2, 2011) for the team record for longest punt return, while also becoming the fourth player in team history to return 2-or-more punts for a score in a season.