New England @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2015 ) N.Y. Giants 12, New England 9

The New York Giants denied New England a chance a history in Super Bowl XLII and will try to end another perfect season for the visiting Patriots when the teams meet on Sunday at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. The NFC East-leading Giants have won the past three matchups against New England, including a pair of last-minute victories in the Super Bowl.

"We've always had very, very close games against them even when we've won," said quarterback Tom Brady, who has guided the Patriots to an 8-0 start. "We just haven't won as many of them as I would've liked to have won." New England is averaging a league-high 34.5 points and owns a three-game lead over the New York Jets atop the AFC East. The Giants rebounded from a 52-49 loss in New Orleans with a 32-18 victory at Tampa Bay a week ago in defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul's season debut to maintain a half-game edge over Philadelphia in the NFC East. “They’re undefeated,” Pierre-Paul said of the Patriots, “but they’ve got to come through here first.”

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -7. O/U: 54.5

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (8-0): Brady, who came up a yard shy of his sixth 300-yard game in last week's 27-10 win over Washington, has thrown for 22 touchdowns versus only two interceptions and owns a league-best 113.5 passer rating. Wideout Julian Edelman (57 receptions) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (44) each have seven touchdown catches, but New England suffered a costly loss when two-way running back Dion Lewis suffered a season-ending knee injury last week. The Patriots' defense is permitting only 17.9 points per game and is tied with St. Louis for second in the league with 27 sacks.

ABOUT THE GIANTS (5-4): New York's offense has been erratic, with Manning throwing for 213 yards or fewer in four of the last six games but mixing in a monster 441-yard performance and a 350-yard, six-touchdown outing in that span. Odell Beckham Jr. has at least seven catches in six of his nine starts and is coming off back-to-back 100-yard games while ex-Patriot Shane Vereen has 34 receptions out of the backfield. The Giants are looking for Pierre-Paul to provide a jolt for a defense that is last in the league in sacks (9.0) and total yards allowed (422.0) and 31st in passing yards surrendered

EXTRA POINTS

1. Gronkowski has a league-best 61 touchdown receptions since 2010.

2. Beckham Jr. has 19 scoring passes in 21 career games.

3. Giants coach Tom Coughlin is 5-1 lifetime against Patriots counterpart Bill Belichick.

PREDICTION: Patriots 30, Giants 27