The Giants are once again set to face off against an elite team in primetime. This time around, they’ll venture to Orchard Park, NY to take on the formidable Buffalo Bills.
Both teams are coming off bad losses last week as the Giants dropped to 1-4 at the hands of the Miami Dolphins while the jet-lagged Bills lost across the pond in London to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Needless to say, both teams must bounce back this week. Beginning with the Giants, they are already on the brink this season. Sitting at a 1-4 behind a newly signed franchise quarterback in Daniel Jones who has taken a step back since signing his $160 million contract, this season has been a regression to the mean after a promising season last year.
The injury to Saquon Barkley has not helped things either, as the G-Men rank dead last in total yards per game and second to last in points per game. While the offensive struggles seem to fall squarely on Jones’ shoulders, he has not gotten any help from his offensive line. Jones has been sacked 30 times this year, including 18 times in the last two weeks which has led his status to be questionable for Sunday night after suffering a neck injury in Week 5.
At some point though, Jones has to share some of the blame as he is last in the league in QBR and has averaged 153 passing yards per game since his 321-yard outburst against the Arizona Cardinals. With Barkely’s return imminent, the Giants have to hope their offensive output returns with him.
For the Bills, they will see this as a get-right game after last week’s debacle in London. Buffalo looked a step slow, making an uncharacteristic amount of unforced errors in a 25-20 loss to Jacksonville. The 11 penalties called on the Bills last week were their most in a game since their 9-6 loss to the Jaguars in 2021. In the Bills’ only other loss this season, they responded with a 38-10 trouncing of the Las Vegas Raiders at home.
This week seems to be following a similar script as quarterback Josh Allen put up his most passing yards this season last week with 359. The Buffalo offense appeared to find something late in the game, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Co. have gotten their groove back and it will be up to the Giants defense to find ways to slow the offense down. For a team with Super Bowl hopes in the Bills, this is a can’t-lose game to a team currently fighting to keep their heads above water.
If the Giants want to have a fighting chance in this game, they need to play their most well-rounded game of the season, with a balanced offensive attack and a defense that is up for the task against Allen. A Barkley return and a career Kayvon Thibodeaux game could lead the way to a Big Blue upset in Orchard Park.
