Patriots Rise From Depths Of Defeat, Ride Gostkowski’s Leg To Stunning 27-26 Victory

The New England Patriots battled adversity all night long and found a way to set up the league's top kicker, Stephen Gostkowski, for a game-winning field goal, as they eked out a 27-26 road win over the New York Giants, Sunday.

It's probably impossible to put the game into words, but I'll take my best shot. Here are some thoughts after the tremendously intense game:

Gostkowski's Golden Leg- In a game like this, it's only right to start with the game winner. New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who is widely considered the top kicker in the league, stepped up to the plate and, with ice water in his veins, drilled a 54-yard field goal with six seconds on the clock. What a kick!

The Final Drive- The team's final drive that led to Gostkowski's winning kick was full of excitement and high stress moments. The drive, which started with only 1:47 left on the clock, almost ended on the first play as quarterback Tom Brady's first pass was almost picked off by defensive back Landon Collins. Collins had the ball in his hands and dropped it as he fell to the ground. It was a play that brought back shades of David Tyree catching the ball on his helmet in 2007; something that simply can't be explained. From there, the Patriots completed a fourth and 10 from their own 20 and then continually moved down the field into field goal range. The team's final play was a great effort by receiver Danny Amendola, who stopped on a dime, made the catch and made the initial defender miss to slink his way into Gostkowski's target range.

Battling Brady- Brady struggled threw what looked to be a costly pick at the goal line midway through the fourth quarter and almost was picked at the start of the team's final drive. Other than those two missteps, though, the veteran quarterback had another tremendous game. On the game, Brady threw for 324 yards on 26 of 42 passing with two touchdowns. His ability to bounce back from the dropped interception and lead the team down the field was vintage Brady.

Amendola Amazes- In a game that saw the Patriots lose top receiver Julian Edelman to what is now being reported as a broken foot, no one stepped up more than number two receiver Danny Amendola. Amendola had a mammoth game catching 10 passes for 79 yards, including multiple catches on the team's final drive. He also had an 82-yard punt return in the third quarter that would have gone for another 10 yards and a score had he not been tripped up by fellow teammate Duron Harmon. The team needed him to step up in the wake of Edelman's injury and he did more than just that with heads up plays, especially down the stretch.

Gronk Leaves His Mark- While tight end Rob Gronkowski was being double and tripled teamed most of the game, he made his presence felt with a 76-yard fourth quarter touchdown reception. Overall, Gronk made five catches for 113 yards and the one score.

Giants Mismanage Clock- The Giants were set up with a first down and goal and just over two minutes on the clock. All they had to do was run the ball and force the Patriots to use their timeouts. Instead, they passed the ball three times and ended up having to settle for the field goal with almost two minutes still on the clock. The rest is, of course, history.

The Butler Did It- In one of his toughest match ups all season, defensive back Malcolm Butler was tasked with chasing around All-Pro receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Aside from the 87-yard touchdown Beckham had on the second offensive play of the game, Butler played very well and Bottled the superstar up. He held Beckham to four catches on 12 targets and made a tremendous play on New York's final drive to knock the ball out of Beckham's hands in the end zone. It proved to be a game saving play.

Never A Dull Moment- This game 100 percent solidified the fact that when these two teams link up fans need to brace for intense and thrilling football. After multiple crushing Super Bowl defeats, at the hands of the Giants, the Patriots got a bit of revenge in tonight's crazy game. For some reason, the Giants always find a way to push the Patriots to the brink. Usually they find a way to push New England over the edge, but today it was the Patriots finding a way to channel the nine lives of a cat and bounce back after being dropped to the depths of defeat.

All in all, the game was a roller coaster of emotion and a nerve racking one at that. The Pats lost another key cog (Edelman) to a significant injury and were behind for most of the game. In the end, though, they battled through and played like defending world champs. It's a quality win that lifts the club to 9-0.

To check all the stats, click here.

To see the first half thoughts, click here.