New York Giants: 3 Major Keys to G-Men Winning Week 6 Battle With Buffalo

The 3-2 New York Giants are coming off of an ugly loss to the Seattle Seahawks in which they committed five turnovers. 

In order to defeat the unexpected 4-1 Buffalo Bills at home on Sunday, the G-Men need to get back to playing their smash-mouth style of football, which is hard running and ferocious defense.

The Bills are an up-and-coming force in the AFC East, sitting atop the division in a tie with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

With that being said, here are three keys to a Giants win this Sunday.

Limit Turnovers

So far this season, the Giants' offense has compiled nine turnovers this season, including a season-high five against the Seahawks in Week 5.

While some of Eli Manning's passes have been intercepted due to tipped passes or receivers losing their footing, others have been mental errors on the part of Manning, which is something that he needs to fix.  He has accounted for seven of the nine turnovers for the G-Men this season.

Along with his five interceptions, Manning has also lost two fumbles on the year.  Being the captain and head of the offense, he needs to do a better job of holding onto the football.

Like Manning, newcomer Victor Cruz has a habit of being rather careless with the ball.  Cruz coughed one up against Seattle last week and was undoubtedly unforgotten is his controversial "non-fumble" against the Cardinals in Week 4.

Manning and the offensive line need to be conscious of safety George Wilson, who has wreaked havoc on offenses this season (three INTs, 47 total tackles, one forced fumble), and veteran linebacker Nick Barnett (two INTs, 42 total tackles, one forced fumble and one TD).

In order to keep Buffalo's potent offense off the field, Manning and the offense must be conservative with the football.

Get the Running Game Going

Whether it's the offensive line or the running backs, Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride must figure out how to get the running game going again, and fast.

The Giants currently rank 25th in the league in total rushing at a meager 83.8 yards per game.  Ahmad Bradshaw is averaging just 57.2 yards per game, and Brandon Jacobs has yet to eclipse 60 yards rushing in three games this season.

The O-line has been bogged down by injuries to center David Baas and guard Chris Snee, who are both anchors in the run game.

The Bills' defense ranks among the league's worst when it comes to stopping the run, surrendering 138.4 yards per game.  If the G-Men are going to come out with a victory, they will have to run the football effectively.

Buffalo leads the league with 12 interceptions, and the Giants can't win this game if they have to rely on Manning's arm to throw 39 times like he did a week ago against Seattle.

Defense, Defense, Defense!

The Giants have always been known for their mighty defense.  A defense that has yet to show up this season.

Other than sacks, the Giant defense ranks in the lower half of the league in almost every statistical category, being shredded for 373.4 yards per game this season.

Of course, players such as rookie cornerback Prince Amukamara, defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora and linebacker Michael Boley have all missed significant time this season, with linebacker Jonathan Goff and cornerback Terrell Thomas both spending the season on IR.

A few players have stepped up, like Jason Pierre-Paul, who has seven of the Giants' 18 sacks this season.  But overall, the defense has been dismal.  They gave up 279 yards to the Seattle combination of Jackson and Whitehurst, and gifted 331 yards to Rams second-year QB Sam Bradford in Week 2.

Against Buffalo, the Giants have to be concerned with stopping Fred Jackson, who ranks fourth in the league with 96 rushing yards per game along with five rushing TDs.  The G-Men were gashed by LeSean McCoy for 128 yards and a touchdown in Week 3, Beanie Wells for 138 yards and three TDs in Week 4 and again in Week 5 by Marshawn Lynch, who ran for 98 yards and one touchdown on just 12 carries.

Although the Bills have an effective run game, the Giants' D needs to be weary of Buffalo QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose having a breakout season, and receivers Steve Johnson (28 rec, 343 yds, 3 TDs) and David Nelson (23 rec, 257 yds, 2 TDs).

(All stats from ESPN.com)