Patriots Snap Counts vs. Giants Reveal Three-Phase Dominance

Offense Observations

The Patriots had six players align for every snap on offense: quarterback Drake Maye and the entire starting offensive line consisting of veteran left tackle Vederian Lowe, left guard Ben Brown, center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Michael Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses. Lowe and Brown were starting in place of injured starters Will Campbell (left tackle) and Jared Wilson (left guard) respectively.

Maye completed 24-of-31 passes for 282 yards, with two touchdowns in another stellar effort, which continues to draw “MVP” chants from the Foxborough Faithful in attendance. The Pats starter also ran the ball six times for 12 yards. Overall, Maye went the distance in Week 13, logging zero turnover-worthy plays against the Giants.

Despite being without both Campbell and Wilson, the Pats left side remained a strong side for the Patriots against New York. Initial tracking from Pro Football Focus estimates that Maye was pressured on only nine of his 26 dropbacks — a testament to the strength of both Lowe and Brown in their respective roles. In doing so, Lowe increased his yearly snap total to 13.4 percent, while Brown expanded his to 23.7 percent.

In his return to the starting role at running back, Rhamondre Stevenson ran the ball 12 times for 40 yards and secured all three targets for 40 yards throughout his 38 snaps. TreVeyon Henderson aligned on 32 plays on offense — his lowest since 14 vs. CLE. Still, the Pats’ rookie led the team with 67 yards in 11 carries, indicating the likelihood of his remaining near the top of the positional depth chart.

Receiver Kayshon Boutte (49 snaps) led all wide receivers with four catches for 35 yards and one touchdown. Still, no player on offense maximized his time on the field more than rookie Kyle Williams. Having aligned on 14 snaps, Williams caught only one pass — a 33-yard touchdown in the closing moments of the first half.

Defense

On defense, the Pats' overall snap count was 55 versus the Giants.

Defense Observations

The Patriots had three players align on every defensive snap in Week 13: cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis and safety Jaylinn Hawkins.

Despite entering Week 13 as the Patriots weekly iron-man of sorts, Spillane aligned on a season-low 38 snaps on defense. While the Pats’ defensive captain’s reduced workload was not due to injury, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that it was a conscious decision near the end of the game to give him a bit of a break. Spillane finished the game with two total tackles.

Linebacker Christian Elliss brought his hard-hitting aggression to this Week 13 battle against the Giants. Elliss was one of the Pats’ standout defensive performers against New York, logging a team-high 11 total tackles and one pass breakup. His performance helped set both the tone and the pace for a combative style of defense throughout the night. His 35 snaps brought his yearly total to 45 percent on the season.

Rookie linebacker Elijah Ponder (season-high 29 snaps) and defensive tackle Cory Durden (23 snaps) have taken much of the load vacated by Milton Williams, who remains on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain. Ponder finished the game with one tackle-for-loss and one sack, while Durden registered two total tackles.

Cornerback Marcus Jones aligned on 42 snaps on defense, yet did not register any defensive statistics. Yet, the Pats triple-threat delivered the play of the game with a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Jones continues to be one of the Patriots most potent weapons on special teams, as well as their primary slot defender.