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The Giants are in Buffalo for Sunday Night Football this week, let's just say this is going to be a tough one. Buffalo is a 15 point favorite. Kickoff is slated for 8:20pm EST from Highmark Stadium.
The Giants will be without starting quarterback Daniel Jones
Throughout the week there seemed to be optimism that the neck injury suffered by Daniel Jones from an Andrew Van Ginkel pass rush this past Sunday in Miami would only be a minor hiccup and he would play through. Unfortunately, come Friday the Giants' injury woes became much, much worse as Brian Daboll confirmed that Jones would be inactive for the game in Buffalo. Absolutely brutal. The Giants will be without their starting quarterback for the first time this season when they face arguably one of the best teams in the NFL.
So what does this mean for Sunday's game? This means that Tyrod Taylor will be getting the start under center. Taylor, a former member of the Buffalo Bills, is a veteran journeyman and is in his second season backing up Daniel Jones. With the offensive line in shambles and struggling to protect Daniel Jones this season, Taylor could be in for a long game up against a vaunted Bills defense that ranks ninth in the league against the pass (191.2 Pass/G) and first in sacks (21). All that said, we got ourselves a revenge game for Tyrod and it will be interesting to see how he fairs in his first start of the season.
The real enemy of the Giants is prime-time
Here are the stats for those who do not know:
The Giants have been outscored 94-15 in prime-time games this year
Week 1 on SNF: 40-0 loss against Dallas at home
Week 3 on TNF: 30-12 loss at San Francisco
Week 4 on MNF: 24-3 loss against Seattle at home
The Giants have already hit the trifecta of prime-time losses this year with one on TNF, SNF and MNF. They have a chance to register a fourth in the prime-time loss column after this week's game. They might have to start playing on Saturdays if they keep taking losses like these.
It doesn't help that Daniel Jones' record over his past 13 prime-time games is 1-12 and tops a list that no one wants to lead. Maybe, just maybe, Jones sitting out for this one is a sign that the football gods are fed up with his performance in the spotlight.
Leaderboard courtesy of CBS Sports
In the end, however, the Giants' prime-time struggles are not all on Daniel Jones. The entire team has gone quiet in prime-time games of late and it has shown on the scoreboard. Brian Daboll and co. have been outplayed and outcoached by a wide margin in all of their prime-time games this year and the mountain only gets harder to climb with an away game in Buffalo on the docket. There needs to be an added emphasis on discipline and accountability because the Giants can't go out there again and embarrass themselves in front of the whole country. At least make the Bills work for the win, please.
Brian Daboll's return to Buffalo
On a somewhat positive note, this will be Brian Daboll's first time back in Buffalo since he departed to take the Giants job after the 2021 season. Daboll spent four seasons (2018-2021) as offensive coordinator in Orchard Park and was a key contributor to Josh Allen's development and ascension to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in football. The Bills ranked second in the league, trailing only the Chiefs offense, in Yards/G in 2020 and 2021. They also scored the second most PPG (31.3) in 2020 and were first in PPG (41.5) in 2021. Daboll helped lay the foundation for a high powered offense that has continued to flourish under Ken Dorsey, Daboll's protege, even after his departure.
Daboll had some great moments while in Buffalo, and he has had nothing but positive things to say about the organization and head coach Sean McDermott. Business is business though, and he is looking at this one as just another game on the schedule. He wants to take care of business and that means getting his team ready for the matchup and not thinking too much about his long awaited return to a place that provided him with so much glory.
Brian Daboll shares his thoughts on Buffalo / Courtesy of Giants.com
Final Thoughts
The Giants are limping on both legs coming into this game and they face one of their toughest opponents yet. Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills - As Swami says - and they are up there once again as one of the top teams in the league. Josh Allen is a superstar who can torment defenses through the air and with his legs, Stefon Diggs is an All-Pro once again, and their defense is tops in the league through five weeks as they rank 12th in Yards/G, 9th against the pass, and 6th in opponent PPG (16.0). As mentioned above, the Bills defense has recorded 21 sacks which ranks them as the league leader in that category. The Giants offensive line has allowed 30 sacks which is good for worst in the league. Yeah, this one is going to be tough.
A 15 point spread is massive for the NFL, but with how the Giants have played this season coupled with the injuries they have suffered, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bills cover that number with ease. Like I said last week though, the NFL is a weird and mysterious place and if the Giants flip the switch and can come out and play their hearts out for four quarters, they can make it close or even pull out a win. Only time will tell and come Sunday night we will have our answer.