The New England Patriots and New York Giants renew their rivalry Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, and unlike some other recent matchups between these two teams, the losing team might actually benefit far more than the winner.
That's because the Patriots and Giants are currently among the teams jockeying for position in the 2024 NFL Draft order.
The Patriots have a 2-8 record, tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the second-worst in the league. New England currently owns the No. 3 overall pick in the first round. The Giants enter Week 12 with the No. 5 pick. They are one of two teams with a 3-8 record.
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Here's how the result of Sunday's matchup between the Patriots and Giants will impact each team's chances of earning a top-two pick, per ESPN Analytics.
So, the difference for the Patriots is almost 30 percent, which is actually fairly significant.
Getting a top-three pick would guarantee the Patriots an opportunity to select one of the top two quarterback prospects -- USC's Caleb Williams or UNC's Drake Maye -- or a generational wide receiver prospect in Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr.
There's a lot of football to be played between now and the Week 18 regular season finale, but if the Patriots want to secure a top three pick in next year's draft, losing Sunday versus the Giants would be a huge step toward accomplishing that goal.