The New England Patriots extended their winning streak to ten games with a commanding 33-15 victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, a matchup that gave head coach Mike Vrabel an opportunity to spotlight one of the team’s most interesting stories in defensive lineman Cory Durden.

Durden has steadily carved out a larger role in New England’s rotation, crossing the 30-snap mark in each of the last three games and surpassing it again on Monday night. But this particular matchup carried personal weight for him, something Vrabel made sure to highlight in his postgame remarks.

“Cory Durden has been playing a lot for us and we brought him over here from the Giants practice squad, from the Giants,” Vrabel said in the press conference, via Carlos A. Lopez of Sleeper. “They let him go, again, that game meant a lot to him. They told him that he wasn't good enough to play for the Giants and we thought that he was good enough to play for the Patriots. So I'm happy for him. He made some plays and continues to help us but also help himself. And I love that.”

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That context made Monday night’s performance especially meaningful. Durden wasn’t just contributing, he was proving his former team wrong on a national stage.

Vrabel, who spent years as a Patriots standout and collected three Super Bowl rings, understands how motivating those moments can be, especially when the opponent is the Giants, a franchise that famously ended New England’s perfect season in 2007.

While Durden’s emotional night was a major storyline, the Patriots put together a complete team performance. Quarterback Drake Maye delivered one of his cleanest outings in weeks, going 24-of-31 for 282 yards and two touchdowns after Marus Jones' 94-yard punt return TD, which created high momentum early in the game.

With New England surging and unexpected contributors emerging weekly, Durden’s story may be just one chapter in a Patriots team building momentum toward an increasingly promising finish.