Although it's been an ugly 2025, the Giants haven’t been shy about what they want their identity to be this fall.
It's a team built to play on schedule, stay ahead of the chains, and force opponents into slow, physical, sometimes maddeningly monotonous football games. And in Week 13 against the New England Patriots -- a defense that began the year stout against the run but has cratered over the last month -- the Giants’ ground game may be the unit capable of flipping the matchup on its head.
In the backfield, while there's no more Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. has been the sparkplug of the rushing attack and one of New York’s most steadying offensive forces the last few weeks. His blend of burst, balance, and the wide-receiver-turned-running-back’s spatial awareness makes him uniquely dangerous at manipulating second-level defenders.
When the Giants want an explosive play without taking to the air, Tracy is their pressure valve. He’s the one who can turn a simple split-zone into a 20-yard gain on third-and-short.
Complementing Tracy, veteran Devin Singletary is a technician in tight spaces, rarely getting thrown for losses, and in a matchup where the Patriots have shown cracks in gap integrity and linebackers have struggled to get off blocks, his north-south consistency could become a defining factor in sustaining long drives.
The key, however, is Jaxson Dart, who has cleared concussion protocol and is expected to return. Dart’s athleticism and willingness to keep the ball on zone reads add a critical third dimension to New York’s run scheme as defensive ends can no longer crash and linebackers hesitate for a tick.
On the opposite side, New England has handled standard run looks well for the majority of the year, but the last month has revealed issues with assignment discipline -- issues that mobile quarterbacks tend to expose quickly.
For the Giants, it isn’t a game where they need fireworks from Dart as a passer. They need composure. They need management. They need a rhythmic, even dull, offensive approach that bleeds time off the clock, keeps the Patriots offense on the sideline, and forces New England to play from an uncomfortable, condensed script.
A slow-paced, trench-driven, ball-control game favors New York. If the Giants can lean on their trio of rushers and squeeze every possession dry, they can drag New England into deep water -- and win the kind of quiet slugfest that defines December football.