 The Patriots finished the season with a +315 point differential, breaking the 1942 Bears' record of +292, making 37–17 the average score of a Patriots game during the regular season.The game did not have an impact on the playoff seeding for either team.The Patriots already clinched the AFC's top seed, while the Giants were locked into the 5-seed, as they had already clinched the best record among NFC teams who did not win their division, but could not catch the division-leading Dallas Cowboys.