Last week, the Giants came back to Earth.
After several convincing victories directed by rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, the New York Giants’ offense had a terrible outing last week. And now, they have to face one of the best teams in the league, the New England Patriots, on the road.
Jones went an unimpressive 21 of 38 for 182 yards in Week 5. As he struggled in the passing game, his running game didn’t give him any help. The backfield really missed Saquon Barkley, as no Giant rushed for over 20 yards.
On defense, New York also had a terrible week. The Giants secondary had no answer for Adam Thielen, and cornerback Grant Haley looked particularly bad against the All-Pro. The run defense was equally ineffective against Dalvin Cook, allowing him over six yards per carry. They also committed a dumb taunting penalty that effectively put the game out of reach.
As the Giants showed cracks, the Patriots rolled against a terrible Redskins team. Everything went well for the Pats against one of the league’s worst teams. Brady threw well. The running backs were productive. The defense got pressure. It was a complete performance.
There is some reason for caution in New England, however, as the only decent team they’ve faced so far was Buffalo in Week 4. In that game, the Bills played the Patriots very close. Even against Washington, Tom Brady took four sacks from a weak Skins D. The Pats O-line has been unusually bad this season, allowing decent defenses to get lots of pressure on their aging star signal-caller.
New England is also fielding one of their worst receiving corps in recent memory. When Phillip Dorsett left the game last week, the Pats struggled. Rumor has it they will trade for a better pass catcher, but that likely won’t happen before Thursday.
Look for the Patriots to beat the Giants. But, don’t let recency bias fool you. Though New England is the better team, a solid performance from New York’s offense could keep this game competitive.
| HOW TO WATCH PATRIOTS VS. GIANTS WITHOUT CABLE | |
| FUBOTV | TRY NOW |
| HULU WITH LIVE TV | TRY NOW |
| AIRTV | BUY NOW |
New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
- When: 8:20pm ET, Thursday, Oct. 10
- Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Streaming: Fox, Amazon Prime, NFL Network (free trials with various streaming services)
How to watch Patriots vs. Giants online
The majority of Thursday night games are simulcast on Fox and NFL Network. This week, you will be able to watch TNF on these two networks and with any streaming platforms that carry them.
What is NFL Network?
NFL Network is where you go if you want to be immersed in pro football. There’s plenty to love about NFL Network, including the ability to watch exclusive shows like Good Morning Football, NFL Total Access, A Football Life, Inside the NFL, and most importantly, Sunday’s NFL GameDay once the regular season begins. There’s also daily programming devoted to fantasy football and power rankings—the kind of stuff football lovers need in their lives. NFL Network shows most Thursday night games during the regular season, and it’ll exclusively show some of the international games in 2019. Take note, though: NFL Network can no longer be seen via DirecTV Now.
The bottom line: If you want to get closer to the action and catch (almost) every Thursday Night Football game, you need NFL Network.
1) FuboTV
- Cost: $54.99 per month
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
If you’re a big-time sports fan, FuboTV is probably your best streaming service option. If you love international soccer and you’re a Spanish speaker, FuboTV also offers various add-on packages, including Fubo Latino and Fubo Português. FuboTV’s basic plan boasts nearly 100 channels and includes NFL Network. At $54.99 per month, you’ll also get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, BeIn Sports, and CBS Sports Network, along with premium channels like FX/FXX/FXM. The only notable omission for sports fans is ESPN. You can add Fubo’s Sports Plus package for an additional $8.99 per month, which will allow you to stream NFL RedZone, (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
2) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its offerings, including ESPN and FS1, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
3) AirTV
While select NFL and college football games (on Fox, FS1, and FS2) are no longer on Sling, you can still catch Fox games with AirTV — which is something you should have as a companion to Sling.
AirTV solves one of Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing a basic AirTV for $79.99 or the AirTV Player for $119.99, you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “It’s practically magic.”
The basic AirTV is a dual-tuner streaming device, while the AirTV Player is basically an upgraded Chromecast that has Netflix preinstalled. You’ll still need to own an HD antenna because even though AirTV gets you access to your local channels, it doesn’t actually physically show them to you.
But AirTV—which has no monthly fee—serves to strengthen one of Sling’s biggest weaknesses compared to other live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. All those services have plenty of local channels.
4) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
If you’d like to watch live TV directly from your PS4, PlayStation Vue is certainly your best bet. PlayStation works with streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire products, but what separates PlayStation from the rest of the streaming services is that it’s also compatible with Kodi. No matter how you stream, you’ll get to choose from four tiers of channels—all but the cheapest include NFL Network. From there, you can add NFL RedZone as part of the $10-per-month Sports Pack, which unlocks ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Classic, Longhorn Network, Outside TV, and NBCUniversal regional sports networks. You can see the full list of PlayStation Vue channels here. Two other great perks: You can stream on up to five devices at once, and there’s also unlimited cloud DVR.
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for college football fans, including ESPN and FS1. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
6) Amazon Prime Video
- Cost: $8.99 a month, or $12.99 a month/$119.99 per year (includes Amazon Prime service)
- Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Fire phone; Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS, and Android devices
Amazon Prime Video allows you to stream Thursday Night Football every Thursday this season (starting Sept. 26 through Dec. 12), save for Thanksgiving. It’s also possible (not obvious, but that’s what we’re here for) to watch NFL RedZone through the service.
Other ways to watch Patriots vs. Giants online
The NFL app
Cost: Depends on provider
Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, PS4, Roku, Android RV, iOS and Android devices
If you subscribe to NFL Network through your cable provider—or you know someone who does and they owe you a sizable favor—you can also watch via the official NFL app. All you have to do is download it from your streaming device of choice—Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, PS4, Roku, or Android TV—and then enter in your cable credentials when prompted. You can also stream on any iOS or Android device, or on your desktop. Just visit nfl.com/watch.
Fantasy Football: Who should I start?
Patriots
Julian Edelman, Wide Receiver: While Phillip Dorsett will likely come back, he might be a little slow as he nurses a hamstring injury. Josh Gordon has been fine, but not spectacular. With no other household names at receiver, look for Edelman to remain the top choice in New England until the team trades for better options.
Giants
Evan Engram, Tight End: It’s hard to love the idea of starting any Giants against this top New England defense, but if you must, go with Engram. He is averaging 75 yards a game and gets into the end zone from time to time.
Patriots vs. Giants: Why it matters
This isn’t the matchup of the week, but this game could be closer than expected. Daniel Jones has put together some good games in his short career, and this uneven Giants team will be one of the best teams the Pats have played to date this season.
New York is trying to stay afloat in a wide-open NFC East. While the Eagles and Cowboys are better teams, they are not unbeatable. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to imagine this team staying competitive.
New England is going to try to preserve home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for as long as they can now that the Chiefs have taken an upset loss. Right now, any loss could have playoff implications.
If the G-Men can knock off the Pats, it will change the trajectory of their season. But it’s hard to see that as a likely outcome as rookie QBs never win in Gillette Stadium.
That being said, don’t be surprised is this game is a bit more competitive than last week’s stats would lead you to believe.
New England is the better team, but with a sturdy yet unimpressive offense, this is not the best Pats attack we’ve ever seen.
READ MORE:
- How to watch NFL RedZone without cable
- How to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without a DirecTV satellite
- How to watch NFL Network online (without cable)
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