Slow Start, Lack Of Balance Nearly Cost Buffalo Bills For Second Straight Week

The Buffalo Bills nearly dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of as they staved off the upset-minded New York Giants.

For as ugly and dramatic as it may have been, the Buffalo Bills escaped Highmark Stadium with a 14-9 win over the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. 

The game came down to the waning moments, as the Giants (1-5) drove to the Bills' one-yard line for an untimed down after Terrel Bernard's pass interference against tight end Darren Waller. Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor looked for Waller again, but Bills (4-2) cornerback Taron Johnson's coverage helped break up the pass to seal the win for Buffalo.

For as dramatic as the ending was, it's worth wondering if it even needed to get to that point.

For the second straight week, Buffalo got off to a slow start and it nearly cost them once again. The Bills trailed 6-0 at halftime and if it weren't for abysmal clock management by Taylor and the Giants, it could have been worse.

"Just wasn't getting into a rhythm," Josh Allen said. "That's pass and run game included. We've got to find ways to get off to a fast start and I don't think we've done that the last few games."

Josh Allen was 19 of 30 for 169 yards with two touchdowns and an interception / © Gregory Fisher, USA TODAY

In the second half, the Bills finally got back to what has helped anchor most of offensive success, which is the running game. Buffalo ran the ball 12 times on its first drive of the third quarter and it helped lead to a three-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Deonte Harty to give Buffalo a 7-6 lead in the fourth quarter after the 18-play drive nearly chewed up 10 minutes of the game clock.

The running game was also prevalent in the Bills' second drive, as they ran the ball on six out of the 13 plays and it culminated in Allen finding Quintin Morris for a 15-yard touchdown to put their team up by the final score. 

Allen was 19 of 30 passing for 169 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the win. Stefon Diggs accounted for most of the offense through the air with 10 catches for 100 yards. 

On the ground, James Cook had 14 carries for 71 yards and Latavius Murray ran the ball 12 times for 45 yards. 

Much of the Bills' success on offense has been predicated on their ability to be balanced. In the Bills' three wins prior to beating the Giants, they averaged nearly as many runs as they did passes. In their two losses, the offense was way more pass-heavy, as they threw the ball over 40 times and only ran the ball an average of 18 times. 

After a lopsided first half, Buffalo eventually regained its balance and finished the night with 30 passing attempts, and they ran the ball 29 times for 128 yards.

There's no disputing how potent the Bills offense can be when it's firing on all cylinders. They're one of if not the best in football when Allen and the rest of the offensive unit is rolling. 

But for a second straight week, a slow start and lack of blance nearly proved costly. If the Bills are going to stay among the AFC elite, quicker starts and more balance are going to be critical down the stretch of the season.