Jordy McElroy, Patriots WireWed, December 3, 2025 at 7:25 PM UTC·1 min readThe New England Patriots started fast defensively in Monday's game against the New York Giants.
They had made a habit of giving up a touchdown or a field goal on the first drive in games, but they were locked in for the matchup against a feisty Giants opponent that typically plays good teams tough. Not only did the Patriots' defense win on the first drive, but they bullied the Giants throughout the game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt was complete physical dominance from New England, and the linebackers were at the center of it all. Christian Elliss delivered the sort of hit from nightmares on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, who attempted to scramble up the sidelines for extra yards instead of getting out of bounds.
There was also the forced fumble on a kickoff, where Elliss hit Giants returner Gunner Olszewski so hard that it chipped paint and part of the logo off Olszewski's helmet. Overall, the Patriots held Dart to 139 yards passing and one touchdown.
The unit held the entire Giants offense to 239 total yards. It was about as impressive a team performance as they've had all season. Here are the Patriots' best and worst graded defensive players in Week 13, according to Pro Football Focus.
Top five PFF graded players
LB Marte Mapu - 93.6
LB Christian Elliss - 89.9
CB Christian Gonzalez - 86.1
LB Jahlani Tavai - 83.9
CB Carlton Davis III - 77.1
Bottom five PFF graded players
S Jaylinn Hawkins - 48.4
LB Jack Gibbens - 48.8
DT Joshua Farmer - 50.3
CB Marcus Jones - 57.4
DT Christian Barmore - 59.7
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Best and worst defensive PFF grades for Patriots in win over Giants
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