How to beat the New England Patriots

As the Baltimore Ravens found out on Sunday, putting together a game plan that will lead to a win over the New England Patriots is a task that is easier said than done.

Getting into a shootout is certainly a low-proposition path since the Patriots scored 30 or more points in 13 of their 18 games this year and had 27 in another contest.

Should a team try to outgain New England yardage-wise? Seven teams did that against the Patriots this year, and only one ended up winning.

Even winning the turnover battle doesn't do a lot of good, as the Patriots were 3-2 in games in which they were on the losing end of that statistical skirmish.

So what is the key to beating the Patriots?

To find the answer, I analyzed the statistics for their games against the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and the Ravens.

To read the full story of how the New York Giants can beat the New England Patriots, plus our complete slate of NFL coverage, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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KC Joyner

NFL Insider

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• NFL and CFB analyst for ESPN Insider
• Known as "The Football Scientist"
• Uses proprietary metrics from game tape study