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The New York Giants are coming off of a victory against the Washington Redskins. Now, they'll take on a Buffalo Bills team that is flying high after putting up 41 points on the Miami Dolphins, while allowing just 14 on defense.
The Bills are prepared to face the Giants' dynamic group of wide receivers, touting Stephon Gilmore and standout rookie Ronald Darby in the secondary. They'll look to slow down a high-powered passing game from the Giants.
Here are three keys to the game for both the Giants and the Bills.
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1. Spread it out on offense
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is old school, and he prefers balance on offense, but he might want to take a page from Bill Belichick's playbook against the Bills. The Patriots beat the Bills with a game plan that featured 61 dropbacks and 15 rushing attempts. The Giants would be foolish to test this Bills defensive line with running plays between the tackles.
2. Feed Odell Beckham Jr. the football
Beckham is behind 13 wide receivers in total targets. Part of that is a result of extra defensive attention, but the Giants need to find a way to get him more short targets in space. Rex Ryan is likely to use cornerback Gilmore to shadow Beckham, and he should have more one-on-one opportunities than he has all season.
3. Shut down the run first
The Giants have consistently shut down opposing running games, and they will have to do it again. The Bills utilize a run-heavy approach under head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. If the Giants can force the inexperienced Tyrod Taylor into long third down situations, they stand a better chance of slowing this offense down.
1. Hold Beckham under 100 receiving yards
There's no doubting Beckham ability to change games as a wideout, and he's the clear-cut No. 1 target for New York. In order to slow the Giants' offense, the Bills will need to slow down Beckham and hold him under 100 yards receiving. They'd be smart to force Eli Manning to go elsewhere with the ball.
2. Pressure Manning with four pass rushers
The Bills tout one of the strongest front fours in the NFL. Marcell Dareus and Mario Williams headline the group, but they've had a knack for getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks with just four rushers. If the Bills are able to do that against Manning and the Giants, they'll be able to drop seven into coverage, making it easier to send extra coverage Beckham's way.
3. Run the ball to keep pressure off of Taylor
Taylor has been great at quarterback for the Bills, but he's bound to slip-up at some point given his inexperience. The Giants' secondary is playing well with Prince Amukamara and rookie safety Landon Collins on the backend, with the possibility that Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will return. To take pressure off of Taylor, the Bills need to run the ball with rookie Karlos Williams, who's an imposing, physical back.
