2) Maye looks to get an arrow pointing back up
Drake Maye has been phenomenal this year, entering Week 13 leading the league in completion percentage (71.0) and passing yards (3,130). If he continues to pace all quarterbacks in both categories until the end of the season, he would join a list comprised only of Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers who have accomplished such a feat since 1980: Drew Brees (2011), Tom Brady (2007), Peyton Manning (2003), Favre1) (92001) and B8rett. Two weeks ago, he had a five game streak with multiple TD passes. He threw just one against the Jets in Week 11, then threw a pick to follow his lone catch in Week 12 against the Bengals. The Patriots are hardly getting away with it, and it’s a testament to how successful their season has been that the team’s narrow victory – the team’s ninth in a row – seemed to cause some consternation within the fan base. While New England is in great shape and most of the concerns are about grunts, a player of Maye’s stature will want to return to being otherworldly rather than just good, especially after coming away from facing the NFL’s worst defense with its worst passer rating (87.1) since Week 1. New York’s D has also proven easy to expose, and one of the most dangerous New England has ever known. Sometimes it’s a tough day like last week when Hunter Henry had 115 yards and a score on seven catches. Other times, it’s a steady dose of Stefon Diggs or a deep ball attack through Kayshon Boutte. Rookie quarterback TreVeyon Henderson has also been involved more and more of late. Hopefully for the Patriots, whoever the lineup is on Sunday coincides with Maye returning to MVP form.
3) Charlie Bullen sees his first game as interim DC
New York is not sitting idle as the season progresses after coach Brian Daboll was fired. After another late collapse, interim coach Mike Kafka fired defensive coordinator and replaced him with outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen. It was an operation that had to be done at some point. Despite using the second-most amount of cap space on the defensive side of the ball in 2025, the Giants have allowed 27.8 points per game and 385 yards per game, both 30th in the NFL. Perhaps it makes sense to temporarily elevate Bullen, given that the group he was responsible for has been doing its job. Despite Kayvon Thibodeaux being out with a shoulder injury, Brian Burns has 13 sacks on the season, trailing only Myles Garrett of the Browns through 12 weeks. Rookie Abdul Carter only has 0.5 sacks, but his 43 pressures stack up pretty well next to Burns’s 44. He’s getting close to the QB and causing stress, just can’t get home. Bullen must now shift his attention beyond the rim to an interior defense that allows the most rushes in the league, a secondary that ranks in the bottom third against the pass, and an overall unit that is often left out late in games. This will be quite the first Test against the No. 1 scorer. 4 immediately.