Patriots vs Giants final score: New England back-ups come up short as Patriots lose 17-9

The New England Patriots fell to the New York Giants with a final score of 17-9.

After a lackluster offensive performance in the first half led to a 6-3 Patriots lead, Jacoby Brissett took over for Tom Brady at quarterback and...well, not much changed. Am I allowed to copy and paste game reports? No?

Brissett’s first drive ventured into the Giants side of the field, but ultimately stalled out. The Giants responded with 59-yard touchdown pass to Tavarres King, after poor coverage by rookie cornerback Cyrus Jones led to a short reception, and then an atrocious angle by safety Vinnie Sunseri left the rest of the field wide open. The Giants took a 10-6 lead.

The Patriots fell behind and never regained the upper hand.

Brissett led a 3-and-out drive, before driving deep into Giants territory. This drive yielded only a field goal, but the damage to the Patriots was far greater as wide receivers Keshawn Martin and Devin Lucien, and running back Tyler Gaffney were all sidelined with injuries. The Patriots cut the lead to 10-9.

The Patriots run defense faltered in the fourth quarter, as the Giants ground out a 6-minute drive that resulted in a touchdown pass over rookie cornerback Jonathan Jones, and the Giants earned a 17-9 lead.

Brissett attempted to lead a final 4-minute drive to tie the game, but failed to convert a 4th-and-1 from the Giants 30 yard line with a minute left in the game to extend the drive.

There were some positives in the second half, of course. Brissett looked poised and confident at quarterback. D.J. Foster looked electric. Barkevious Mingo continued his stellar play and should immediately leapfrog Jonathan Freeny in the depth chart (please?). Rufus Johnson had a solid performance at defensive end.

But at the end, the Giants ruined the Patriots attempt at a perfect preseason.

We’re on to the Cardinals.