Sure, it was the lowly New York Giants, but the New England Patriots made a statement with their 33-15 victory on Monday Night Football .

Mike Vrabel's group wasted little time asserting its dominance on a national stage. In the first quarter, Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss set the tone with a punishing hit on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. The collision sparked a skirmish on the sideline, but it was a clean hit on a rookie QB who has yet to learn how to protect himself.

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The Patriots also overcame their first real taste of adversity this season. They excelled in protecting quarterback Drake Maye despite missing two starting offensive linemen -- tackle Will Campbell and guard Jared Wilson -- due to inju

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