Here is some quick reaction to the New York Giants’ 27-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
It Was Over When …
Giants’ defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul batted down a fourth-down pass by Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with 59 seconds left and the Giants clinging to a 27-24 lead. The Giants then ran out the clock.
Turning Point Of The Game
With the score tied, 24-24, Buffalo drove the ball from their own 26 to the Giants’ 27-yard-line. Fitzpatrick tried to hit Stevie Johnson streaking down the left side, but the ball was underthrown and Corey Webster intercepted for the Giants at the four-yard-line. Rather than being down by a touchdown with four minutes to play, the Giants remained tied, and then drove for the game-winning field goal.
Three Stars
- Webster was locked in an intense battle with Johnson all day. He surrendered one touchdown pass, but came away with two critical second-half interceptions.
- Ahmad Bradshaw carried 26 times for 104 yards and three touchdowns. With Brandon Jacobs sidelined, Bradshaw carried the load. The result was the Giants’ first 100-yard rushing performance of the season.
- Jake Ballard caught five passes for 81 yards for the Giants. That’s a career-best in both departments for Ballard, who is supposed to be primarily a blocker but has become a weapon in the Giants’ passing attack.
Three Good Stats
- Bradshaw’s 104 yards rushing is the Giants’ first 100-yard game of the season. It took him 26 carries, but the Giants stuck with the run and got some good things done.
- Zero turnovers. In fact, the Giants intercepted Fitzpatrick twice to end up +2 on the day. That was huge since Buffalo was +11 in takeaway/giveaway ratio entering the game.
- Steve Weatherford’s 52.7-yard average per punt, and the resulting 43.7-yard net average.
Three Bad Stats
- The Giants gave up two long plays for touchdowns — an 80-yard run by Fred Jackson and a 60-yard pass to Naaman Roosevelt.
- The Giants surrendered 155 yards rushing, and allowed Buffalo to average 6.7 yards per rushing play. Much of that did come on Jackson’s 80-yard run, of course.
- The Giants had one field goal blocked. That nearly proved costly, and it has been a problem for New York since the preseason.