The reason to imitate the Giants' method instead the Patriots' isn't just that the former beat the latter.
The trouble is that it's tough to luck into having a Tom Brady hidden on your roster, a coach like Bill Belichick who remains an exceptional schemer no matter how joyless and dreary he is as a human being, and both peaking veterans and jettison declining ones at the precisely right moments.
The Bills don't have much chance at matching every move New England makes, but following a different track that's easier to copy—namely the one used by the world champions—could be a straightforward path to improvement.
Once embarrassing enough to his family that one could imagine him being stuck at the kid's table for Thanksgiving, Eli Manning is now tied with his more prominent big brother for number of Super Bowl wins. He did so not by attempting to outgun anyone but rather by managing the game and severely restricting turnovers.
Manning didn't throw an interception in the three playoff contests the team played on its way to Arizona and was credited for a single pick that was mostly his receiver's fault against New England.
If the Bills are set on Trent Edwards, Manning's low-risk approach is exactly the sort of economical style they should be drilling into their quarterback's head, as he should be focused on taking what's available and understanding that it's better to have a possession end with a punt than an interception. That patience means waiting for openings instead of forcing them, as Manning did when he chose his spots, bided his time, and eventually threw for two touchdowns in the last game's final quarter.
The Giants also got the opportunity to triumph by brutalizing foes on the ground along the way, led by Brandon Jacobs and his 5.0 yards per carry regular-season average. Marshawn Lynch didn't match that gain rate for a variety of reasons, none of which can be pinned on him.
With a new offensive coordinator in charge and hopefully more variation in the team's play calls, Lynch might face fewer episodes where he gets hopelessly swarmed in the backfield and more where he can employ his contact-relishing technique to control games for his team.
Astutely using change-of-pace back Fred Jackson could give further trouble to defenses, much like how rookie Ahmad Bradshaw came on late in the year for New York and actually had a better rate through the playoffs than starter Jacobs, including gaining more ground in the championship game. Having two solid backs is as essential as being willing to go with whoever has a hotter hand.
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