Giants Country

Why the Giants Will Beat Buffalo, Why They Won't, and a Prediction

The banged-up Giants are facing yet another difficult challenge in primetime. Can they at least keep this team more competitive?
Patricia Traina|
Why the Giants Will Beat Buffalo, Why They Won't, and a Prediction
Why the Giants Will Beat Buffalo, Why They Won't, and a Prediction

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New York Giants

Another week, another primetime game for the less-than-ready-for-primetime New York Giants, a team that heads to Buffalo under very different circumstances and storylines than what the schedule makers likely envisioned.

They envisioned a classic battle of football wits between Bills head coach Sean McDermott and Giants head coach Brian Daboll, formerly the Bills offensive coordinator.

They likely envisioned Daboll having fed defensive coordinator Wink Martindale some inside intel so he could develop some kryptonite to counter Bills quarterback Josh Allen's Superman. And they likely envisioned a battle of two offenses that, on paper at least, can air it out and turn it into a high-scoring, exciting affair.

So much for all that. The networks are getting a banged-up beyond-belief Giants team playing bad football across the board that won't have Jones in the lineup, which will have a banged-up Waller (groin) and may or may not have Barkley.

They're getting a Giants team on the verge of being historically bad--their minus-91 point differential is their second-worst mark since 2000, behind the minus-100 the team set in 2013.

The Giants are not fun to watch these days in any way, shape, or form. Yet we still tune in, hoping they'll at least be competitive. Will that happen against a Bills team reeling from losing last week to the Jaguars?

That's why you line up and play the game, right?

New York Giants Week 6: Examining the Buffalo Bills Defense

Why the Giants Will Win

I know what you must be thinking, but since I have to look at both sides of the coin for this weekly in-season analysis, I have to present at least one reason why the Giants could pull off an upset in this game.

I'm going to go with the running game. If the Giants get Saquon Barkley back this week, even if it's on a pitch count, and they can get that running game going against a Bills run defense that is ranked 25th against the run (134 yards/game allowed), that might give the Giants a fighting chance to at least keep this one close.

Buffalo has allowed over 100 rushing yards in four of its five games played so far this season and is 2-2 in those games. The more rushing yards they surrender, the closer the game--against the Jets in Week 1, they gave up 172 yards on the ground, ending in a 22-16 Jets win in overtime. And last week, in a 25-20 loss to Jacksonville, the Bills gave up 196 rushing yards.

And did I mention they're going to be without their best run-stopping linebacker, Matt Milano (broken leg/IR)?

The Giants have topped 100 yards rushing as a team in three of their five games this season, their best showing coming in a Week 2 win over Arizona, when they rushed for 127 yards. Again, getting Barkley (questionable) back for however many snaps he might play would help, as would this offensive line, moving some people out of the way.

New York Giants Week 6: Examining the Buffalo Bills Offense

Why the Giants Will Lose

Take your pick--the injuries, the offensive line, the appearance on primetime (again), the quality of the opponent. They're all good and valid points, but I'll give you another.

The Bills are coming off a frustrating loss to Jacksonville in a game played across the pond last week. They haven't lost back-to-back games since Weeks 9-10 last season, and they haven't lost to the Giants, a team with a minus-91 point differential through five weeks, since 2015.

The Bills might have their injury issues, but they're a far more well-rounded team than the Giants right now, and quarterback Josh Alen, whom Giants head coach Brian Daboll gushed about this week when asked about Allen, has played Superman before in leading his team back from a punch in the mouth.

The Giants? They have yet to recover from being punched in the mouth in Week 1 by the Cowboys, only showing a pulse for two-quarters of football in Week 2 in what seems like ages ago.

Want something to keep an eye on? The Giants have allowed 5.3 yards per rushing attempt, 29th in the league to 6.3 yards per pass play (31st). The run defense has picked up where it's left off, and not in a good way, so don't be surprised if the Bills aim for balance in their attack on the Giants' defense.

Prediction

Here we are in Week 6 of the NFL season, and I'm still not sure what this Giants team is other than a banged-up group that appears to lack the bite it had last year. Daboll speaks of everyone having to do better, but with this team's roster very different than the one the coaching staff was planning to roll with, there are too many problems to fix.

Bills 30, Giants 13 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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