Every year by late October, most of the NFL’s contenders are known.

This year, the Patriots were no exception.

The Pats soared to a 6-2 start, and earned their contender badge with ensuing wins over the Falcons and Bucs. Back then it was hard to argue with seven straight wins.

Now, the Patriots are at 10 in a row, and almost every other contender has stumbled around them. Bad losses are scattered around the league, which has perhaps never been more wide open. The Rams became the latest to fall last weekend, losing as 10-point favorites in Carolina.

So where is the Patriots’ bad loss?

Nowhere to be found. Not yet anyway.

Instead of slumping into their bye Monday night, the banged-up Pats put the Giants in a 30-7 headlock at halftime and held tight for an 18-point win. Little about the ending was pretty, but that isn’t the point. The Patriots brutalized their opponent in a way the only other AFC team truly competing for the No. 1 seed did not while facing another NFC East bottom-feeder Sunday night.

The Broncos, winners of nine straight, may not have a bad loss yet, but they do not inspire the same confidence the Patriots are right now. If there’s any question as to why, check the latest MVP odds.

There, at the top, you will find Drake Maye, who led another dominant performance Monday night and bolstered his case for the league’s highest honor. But he didn’t do it alone.

See: Marcus Jones’ punt return touchdown, Christian Elliss’ bone-crunching hit and a few unlikely heroes along the offensive line.

Here’s what else the film revealed about the Patriots’ latest win:

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) scrambles and throws during the second quarter of a NFL game against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

Drake Maye

24-of-31 for 282 yards, 2 TDs, 3 sacks

Accurate throw percentage: 80%

Under pressure: 4-of-8 for 48 yards, three sacks

Against the blitz: 8-of-11 for 112 yards, 2 TDs, 2 sacks

Behind the line: 5-of-5 for 44 yards

0-9 yards downfield: 14-of-18 for 131 yards, TD

10-19 yards downfield: 3-of-3 for 39 yards

20+ yards downfield: 2-of-4 for 69 yards, TD

Notes: There seems to be no rattling him.

The Giants tried their best, sending interior blitzes and then showing blitz before backing out to isolate their edge rushers against the Patriots’ offensive tackles. Maye expertly handled both types of pressure, making appropriate pre-snap checks and calmly navigating every pocket. He finished without a single turnover-worthy play and beat the blitz with a 144.7 passer rating in the face of extra rushers.

Best of all, Maye was unbothered playing behind a backup left tackle and left guard, focused only the plan and play and hand. To that end, he took what New York’s defense gave him by firing quick, accurate strikes. His patented deep passes hit, too, most notably on his 33-yard touchdown to Kyle Williams.

Maye willingness to spread the ball around to players like Williams (four catches before Monday night) prevented the Giants from effectively keying in on Stefon Diggs, as the Bengals did a week earlier, and helped the Pats exploit their best matchups on a down-to-down basis. Eight Patriots finished with at least one catch.

Maye did invite one sack, but avoided unnecessary punishment his counterpart, Jaxson Dart, took. Major progress from a year ago. This game was less about dazzling displays of arm strength and more command, poise and football IQ; a quarterback mature beyond his years whose development is years ahead of schedule.

Critical areas

Turnovers: Patriots 0, Giants 1

Explosive play rate: Patriots 9.5%, Giants 5.7%

Success rate: Patriots 46%, Giants 41.5%

Red-zone efficiency: Patriots 1-5, Giants 0-0

Defensive pressure rate: Patriots 33.3%, Giants 30.5%

Offense

New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams (18) celebrates his touchdown with Stefon Diggs during the second quarter of a NFL game against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

Game plan

Personnel breakdown: 67% of snaps in 11 personnel, 9.5% of snaps in 12 personnel, 9.5% of snaps in 21H personnel, 8% of snaps in 21F personnel,  3% of snaps in 13 personnel, 1.5% of snaps in 22 personnel, 1.5% of snaps in 01 personnel.***

Personnel production: 46.5% success rate in 11 personnel, 50% success rate in 12 personnel, 66% success rate in 21H personnel, 20% success rate in 21F personnel, 50% success rate in 13 personnel, 100% success rate in 22 personnel, 100% success rate in 01 personnel.

First-down down play-calls: 59% run (41% success rate), 41% run (58% success rate)

Play-action rate: 11.1%

One of Josh McDaniels’ best game plans of the season started with a pass-heavy opening script filled with quick passes designed to alleviate pressure on his patchwork offensive line. Quickly, that plan framed some of the most diverse tape this offense has produced all season, with eight different personnel groupings, including those with six offensive linemen, and run-game wrinkles that featured one direct snap to Rhamondre Stevenson. McDaniels diversified his protection plan by supplying help to both offensive tackles via chips, double-teams, play-calls with cut blocks and occasional misdirection.

Mike Vrabel’s message to Patriots as they go into late bye week

The Patriots used two-back personnel on almost 20% of their offensive snaps, one of their highest rates this season. Their 21H personnel grouping — or “Pony” as it’s known in the league — allowed Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson to hit Giants edge rushers while they exited the backfield to run routes. Both players became frequent targets for Maye, who zipped nine completions into the flat; a frequent weak spot for a New York defense that played a lot of Cover 4 and crowded the middle of the field when blitzing or faking inside blitzes.

The Pats also picked relentlessly on Giants corner Paulson Adebo, starting with a double-move on their fourth play from scrimmage and, later, Williams’ 33-yard touchdown.

Lastly, McDaniels upended two season-long tendencies: regular usage of two-tight end personnel and play-action. He called both at season-low rates, deploying 12 personnel on fewer than 10% of snaps and dialing up just four play-action passes as a way to mitigate the risk of longer-developing pass plays versus the Giants’ pass rush.

Player stats

Broken tackles: RB TreVeyon Henderson 4, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, WR Stefon Diggs

Pressure allowed: LT Vederian Lowe 4 (QB hit, 3 hurries), Team 3 (sack, 2 hurries), QB Drake Maye (sack), Henderson (sack), LG Ben Brown (QB hit), RT Morgan Moses (hurry), C Garrett Bradbury (hurry)

Run stuffs allowed: Team WR DeMario Douglas, Moses

Drops: Henderson

Notes

For an offensive tackle turned punching bag, Vederian Lowe’s four allowed pressures belied a solid performance on tape. He handled himself well against two of the NFL’s most athletic edge rushers, often sending them behind Drake Maye and around the pocket; exactly as the offense’s game plan dictated.
Lowe did allow some quick pressure, but that was to be expected. Next to him, left guard Ben Brown got flagged for a hold and allowed an early pressure, but settled in immediately. Brown was arguably the Patriots’ best run-blocker.
Overall, the O-line’s surprisingly solid pass protection set the stage for a winning performance, as did, of course, Maye. Once the Pats neutralized Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns (one QB hit, zero sacks) and blocked up New York’s interior blitzes, the Giants were drawing dead.
TreVeyon Henderson allowed the only sack Maye did not invite himself. His blitz pickup remains too shaky to be featured as a three-down back, but his ability to hit long runs is the Patriots’ best hope for reviving their run game.
It appears to be too late for this offense to develop an efficient, steady rushing attack, but the Pats’ can survive if they hit a few explosive runs per game and reach league average levels in short-yardage. And therein lies the root of their red-zone problem.
The offense went 1-of-5 inside the red zone, undone by their inability to punch the ball across the goal line. No surprise, the Patriots rank bottom-5 in power success rate; a metric that measures a team’s percentage of runs on third or fourth down with two yards or less to go that achieve a first down. That’s a problem.
Encouraging news: Stevenson ran with more force than a week ago. The bye should treat him, and his recovering turf toe, well.
Good news: Kayshon Boutte’s 3-yard touchdown offered yet another reminder he is among the best contested-catch receivers in the league, and his chemistry with Maye can and should carry the offense in high-leverage situations.
Quiet day for Stefon Diggs, despite a game-planned emphasis on playing through 11 personnel and the Giants’ steady diet of zone coverage. Diggs beat zone coverage on two catches. His feel against zone is one of the underrated pleasures of watching this offense work.
DeMario Douglas played more offensive snaps than he had since Week 3. He caught two passes during a two-minute drill before halftime, a strong sign for Maye’s trust in him. There’s a lot of work to be done with his run-blocking, though.
Rookie receiver Kyle Williams tracked the ball beautifully on his 33-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. Williams has a steep climb to more playing time, but deep strikes like that ought to be in the game plan every week.
Hunter Henry had the longest play of the day on a rare play-action pass with max protection (eight blockers). Henry ran a corner route, and later caught a jump ball Maye flipped while under pressure to convert on third down. If there’s a more trusted player on this offense, I don’t know who he is.

Defense

Christian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots swipes the ball away from New York Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (17) during the second half of a NFL game at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald

Game plan

Personnel breakdown: 59% three-corner nickel package, 28% base defense, 13% dime.***

Coverage breakdown: 71% zone, 29% man

Blitz rate: 40%

Blitz efficacy: 17% offensive success rate and 3.9 yards per play allowed

Ready, set, blitz.

The Patriots tried to put Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart to bed early with pressure, then buried him with extra rushers on his final series. Dart beat the Pats for one touchdown in the first half, but couldn’t overcome the blitz nor a disadvantage out wide where his receivers had seven passes broken up in front of them. The Patriots battered the Giants, and that physicality defined their plan more than any set of schemes.

On the Xs-and-Ods front, defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr majored in Cover 2 and Cover 1, likely a function of playing with a lead and trying to prevent New York from scoring quickly. Kuhr had the defense well-prepared for the Giants’ shot plays and intermittent use of tempo, especially in Patriots’ territory. Kuhr didn’t call for his base personnel packages to stop the run often, a credit to the physical play up front of the regular group.

Two personnel wrinkles: the Pats debuted a 1-5-5 nickel package with only one down lineman and five linebackers, plus a base personnel grouping with three cornerbacks and one safety instead of two of each.

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Player stats

Pressure: OLB Harold Landry 2 (sack, QB hit), OLB K’Lavon Chaisson 2 (2 QB hits), DL Christian Barmore 2 (QB hit, hurry), S Jaylinn Hawkins 2 (QB hit, hurry), OLB Elijah Ponder (sack), LB Christian Elliss (QB hit), OLB Anfernee Jennings (hurry)

Run stuffs: OLB Anfernee Jennings, Team

Pass deflections: CB Carlton Davis 2, LB Marte Mapu 2, CB Christian Gonzalez, S Jaylinn Hawkins, LB Christian Elliss

Missed tackles: Hawkins 2, LB Jack Gibbens, LB Robert Spillane, Barmore, Davis, Elliss, Landry

Notes

Christian Elliss smashing Jaxson Dart along the sideline was a rare standalone moment where the emotional charge carried through the rest of the game. Mike Vrabel wanted a physical, violent game, and he got it right then and there.
Elliss didn’t stop there, either, registering one pressure and ranging sideline to sideline in coverage. He will get fooled from time to time, but Monday night showed why the coaching staff and front office have banked on his physical gifts.
A nice bounce-back game from Christian Gonzalez, who was beat for a late touchdown in Cincinnati by a third-year receiver with seven career catches. Gonzalez, not known for his physicality, delivered a big hit and didn’t allow a catch in man-to-man coverage.
Carlton Davis gave up one catch on the opening drive, then pitched a shutout in coverage. He should have reeled in an interception later in the game.
How about the young defensive tackles? Mostly good. Cory Durden, a third-stringer, mostly held his ground against the run. Durden may have been their best run defender, though the Giants’ best runs featured sizeable rushing lanes inside. Opponents will continue to attack the soft underbelly of this defense until Tonga and Williams return.
The coaching staff spelled Spillane late, limiting him to 39 of 55 possible defensive snaps played. Vrabel suggested Tuesday it was to manage his workload late in the season.
The Patriots’ timid pass rush didn’t haunt them, but it may soon. Harold Landry recorded a sack he owed to good coverage downfield and Christian Barmore, whose diving effort caused Dart to stumble.
It didn’t register in the official box score, but Barmore earned his third QB hit in his last eight games. His soft pressure — built mostly on hurries rather than hits and sacks — continues. Batmore misses Williams.
Rookie outside linebacker Elijah Ponder nabbed a sack in garbage time. Ponder also kicked inside for a few rushes, something the Patriots used to do with Keion White.
Up-and-down game for safety Jaylinn Hawkins, who had two missed tackles, a pass breakup and got flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit. He was in the vicinity of Dart’s only touchdown throw against a type of Cover 0 blitz, where bad angles and pursuit cost the Patriots a score.

*Explosive plays are defined as runs of 12-plus yards and passes of 20-plus yards.

**Success rate is an efficiency metric measuring how often an offense stays on schedule. A play is successful when it produces positive EPA (Expected Points Added).

***11 personnel = one running back, one tight end; 12 personnel = one running back, two tight ends; 13 personnel = one back, three tight ends; 21 personnel = two backs, one tight end; 21H = two halfbacks, one tight end; 22 personnel = two backs, two tight ends.

****Base defense = four defensive backs; nickel = five; dime = six.