New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills: What's the Game Plan for New York?
Rex Ryan shared a stadium with the New York Giants when he manned the sidelines for the New York Jets, but now he gets to oppose them as head coach of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Here's an in-depth breakdown of the afternoon matchup, with everything you need to know before the Giants (1-2) head to Buffalo to take on the impressive Bills (2-1).
Below you'll find the Giants' game plans, along with some key players to keep an eye on during the tilt. As usual, feel free to chime in using the comments section below.
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Offensive Game Plan
Protect Eli
Rex Ryan defenses are notoriously ferocious, and this Bills team seems to be no different. We saw what it did to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck in Week 1. If the Giants can't manage to keep Eli Manning upright, it's going to be a long afternoon for Big Blue.
They've protected him surprisingly well this season and if he has time to make plays on Sunday, perhaps he can exploit the Bills' secondary. If the Giants are going to have a shot in this one, they're likely going to do it through the air, as the Bills have the NFL's No. 1-ranked rushing defense through three weeks.
Don't Be One-Dimensional
Though the Bills have bottled up opposing teams' running attack, the Giants still have to try to rush the ball effectively on Sunday. The G-Men can't expect to allow Manning to toss the rock 40-plus times on the road and expect to come away with a victory.
Try all three running backs and see who has the hot hand. If one of them strings together a few good runs in a row, play action will be extremely beneficial.
Call Rex Ryan what you want, but you can't knock his defensive smarts. If the Giants get too predictable or pass-happy, the Bills will begin to run downhill and smell the blood in the water. In that event, the Giants would let the game slip out of control in a hurry.
Defensive Game Plan
Bottle Up Karlos Williams
It looks like the Bills' No. 1-ranked running game will be without LeSean McCoy, but the Giants aren't out of the water just yet. Enter Karlos Williams.
Williams, a fifth-round rookie, has led the Bills in rushing in two of their three games thus far and exploded last weekend against the Miami Dolphins. He rushed for 110 yards on just 12 carries and found the end zone for the third time in as many games.
He's been a revelation in the backfield and has made up for a hobbled McCoy, who has disappointed thus far and has played at less than full health since the year began.
NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano shared an interesting tidbit about Williams and noted how unexpected his success has been:
The Giants are going to have to bring everything they can to stop him and let Tyrod Taylor beat them through the air. While he's proven he's capable of doing so, at least thus far, it's the Giants' best chance of surviving in Orchard Park.
Pressure Tyrod Taylor
Rex's Bills look a lot like the New York Jets team he had in his first season as the coach, and that includes the quarterback position.
The simple fact is that if Taylor doesn't turn the ball over, the Bills will be in most games because of their defense. It's a recipe that has worked for Ryan in New York and Pete Carroll in Seattle.
The Giants need to blitz early and often on Sunday to force Taylor into making mistakes. They have to be careful since he can also make plays with his feet, but if they can force him into making turnovers, they'll be able to keep the Bills defense on the field and perhaps wear it down.
The field position and time-of-possession battles will be key, and turnovers will go a long way on both fronts. Taylor has tossed three picks and fumbled three times in as many games, though none were recovered by the opposition.
Key Players and Matchups
Charles Clay
Once again, the Giants were destroyed by an opposing tight end last Thursday night, playing against the Washington Redskins. Jordan Reed led Washington with 96 receiving yards on six catches, continuing a frightening trend for the Giants defense, which has now given up 18 catches, 253 yards and two touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season.
Clay ranks second on the Bills in catches (12), targets (17) and yards (144) and leads them with two touchdowns. He's a big-time threat, and he'll likely be licking his chops knowing that players of his position have experienced great success against the Giants this season.
Rueben Randle
After finally breaking out last week, Rueben Randle will look to keep the good times rolling.
With Victor Cruz injured yet again, he'll be tasked with being the Giants' secondary option to Odell Beckham Jr., which is a daunting and important job. Randle's effectiveness will directly correlate to how the Bills defend Beckham and how much one-on-one coverage and open space he sees.
Randle will need to replicate his Week 3 performance and garner over 100 yards if the Giants are going to keep pace on Sunday.
Shane Vereen
With Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings both averaging far below 4.0 yards per carry, running back Shane Vereen has to be more involved on all fronts. He's a valuable asset the Giants aren't properly using just yet.
He has yet to find his niche in the offense but has been the most consistent rusher (3.7 yards per carry) and by far the most dynamic in the passing game, as he's second on the team with 12 receptions.
Vereen has the talent to do damage against the Bills on Sunday, though he totaled just five rushing yards in two games against them last season.
Ereck Flowers
Assuming the rookie plays, Ereck Flowers will likely have a daunting task ahead of him in the shape of 6'6" defensive lineman Mario Williams.
Williams, a skilled veteran, should take Flowers to school on Sunday. Though he has gotten off to a slow start this season with just one sack, he's coming off a career-best 14.5 sacks in 2014, showing his ability to still be a top edge-rusher in the league.
Here's a look at how dominant Williams has been with the Bills:
Transitioning to Ryan's defense may be the cause for his slow beginning to the season, but once Williams adjusts, he should become a lethal pass-rusher yet again. The 30-year-old has had double-digit sacks in each of his first three seasons in Buffalo.
Prediction
The defenses will win this game, and the Bills have a better chance of bottling up the Giants' below-average running game and forcing Eli Manning to make poor decisions than the other way around.
Karlos Williams will run wild, Tyrod Taylor will give the Giants fits, as most mobile quarterbacks traditionally do, and this game will get ugly in the second half while the G-Men try to play catch-up.
It'll be a Sunday to forget for the Giants in Buffalo, as Rex Ryan will be seen celebrating and smiling on the sidelines, with frequency, throughout the broadcast.
Bills 23, Giants 11
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