New York Giants: 5 Keys to This Weekend's Game Against the Buffalo Bills

Tom Coughlin’s New York Giants have been a constant victim of the trap game, which can explain what happened against the Seahawks at home Sunday.

The silver lining for the Giants here—the opposite for the Buffalo Bills—is that they are very adept of climbing out of that hole.

To earn a win in another home game this week against the 4-1 Bills, the Giants will need to perform well on both sides of the ball. Here are five keys to a Giants victory over the team that actually plays in New York.

Limit the Turnovers

After two weeks of turnover-free quarterbacking, Eli Manning regressed against the Seahawks. 

Although he did throw for a career high 420 yards and three touchdowns, he also threw three interceptions—including the pick-six that iced the game for the Seahawks. 

Victor Cruz slipped on his route, so the pick wasn't entirely Manning' fault, but I'm tired of that excuse. It's the song that was sung all of last season, and not the right tune for a supposed franchise quarterback. 

The Giants also fumbled three times, losing two of them. 

If we've learned anything from watching the Bills so far this season, it's that they thrive on turnovers. They are eerily reminiscent of the 2009 Saints in that regard.

Last week, the Bills were able to pick off Michael Vick four times—he only threw six last season. 

In their Week 3 victory over the Patriots, they intercepted Tom Brady four times, the same amount he threw all last season. 

If the Giants have any chance of winning this game, they will need to keep the ball in their possession. 

Get David Baas Back

The injury most Giants fans took note of before Sunday's game was that of Justin Tuck, but after watching the offensive line's issues, they need David Baas back—and fast. 

The center is an undervalued position in the NFL, the reason for that being if you have the best center in the league you would likely not hear their name the entire game. 

Kevin Boothe is not a terrible backup, but after several poor snaps, three sacks allowed and countless hurries on Eli Manning, it is clear he is not cut out to be a starter. 

Baas is listed again on this week's injury report with a neck issue.

Remember When Running the Ball Was Cool?

I'm a big Victor Cruz fan, but he should not be catching eight passes against the Seahawks. In a game that seemed tailored for a resurgence by the running game, the team was only able to get Ahmad Bradshaw 58 yards on 17 carries. 

This is not Giants football. 

This team is built around the power running game, and regardless of whether the NFL has turned into a passing league, they need to get back to this.

Yes, Brandon Jacobs was out, but there are other backs on the depth chart. Da'Rel Scott was in for one snap to block and DJ Ware was given four carries against the Seahawks. Hand the ball off and see what happens against the Bills. 

Buffalo leads the league in interceptions, total takeaways and turnover differential. It is important to give them as few chances as possible—another 39-pass game from Manning will not bode well for Big Blue. 

Don't Let Fred Jackson Run Wild

Justin Tuck is the heart and soul of the defensive line. It was clear that, without him, that unit was not playing with the same fire as usual.

Tuck is still questionable for Week 6, but regardless of his status the Giants will need to keep Fred Jackson from doing what they've allowed Marshawn Lynch and Beanie Wells to do the last two weeks. 

Lynch ran for 98 yards and a touchdown last week, but the scary game was the 139 yards and three touchdowns by Beanie Wells and an Arizona Cardinals team that routinely passes more than anyone in the league. 

The Giants can't allow the Bills to run the ball and control the clock; if this happens, it will negate the pressure from the defensive line and the Giants one great advantage in the game will be moot. 

Stevie Johnson Is Good; Watch out for Everyone Else

When looking at the Bills, the name that jumps out at you is Stevie Johnson. 

Yes, this is the same guy that blamed God when he dropped a sure touchdown pass last year to lose the Bills a game, but he's also the Bills leading receiver on the season. 

The Giants, however, should be less concerned with him, and more with the rest of the receiving depth chart.

So far this season, the team has been able to shut down the opposition's top receiver, but the second and third options have taken them to school.

	No. 1 Receiver	Kinda Good	Wait, what?
Seahawks	Sydney Rice 4-38	Ben Obomanu 6-51	Doug Baldwin 8-136
Eagles	DeSean Jackson 2-30	Jeremy Maclin 5-69	Jason Avant 4-33
Redskins	Santana Moss 6-76	Jabar Gaffney 3-54	Fred Davis 5-103

This might be due in part to the lack of depth in the secondary, but regardless it is a trend that must be addressed. The two receivers to watch out for in this game is David Nelson, who has 23 catches for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Luckily for the Giants, Donald Jones (16 catches for 174 yards and one touchdown) is out injured for Buffalo.