Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants Notebook: Optimism After Scary Week 6 Win

The Buffalo Bills barely escaped the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. How worried should fans be heading into Week 7 against the New England Patriots?

The Buffalo Bills won on Sunday, beating the New York Giants, 14-9, in front of the home fans at Highmark Stadium. It was far uglier than even pessimistic projections of the Week 6 affair, but for those without a dog in the fight, it was incredibly entertaining football.

The Bills won on the backs of a no-call in the end zone and mind-numbing gaffes by the Giants, but a win is a win. The dust settled in Western New York with Buffalo sitting at 4-2.

What can fans take away from the humbling, yet thrilling, victory?

Allen attempts a pass against the Giants / © Gregory Fisher, USA TODAY

1. The run defense had to win its matchup, and it did.

Yes, New York’s offensive line is perhaps the worst in football, and only got weaker over the course of the game.

Yes, running back Saquon Barkley was clearly still hampered by the ankle injury that rendered him a game-time decision.

No, that doesn’t invalidate how well the front seven performed against the run on Sunday.

With how close this contest was, giving up another inch (or 36 inches to be exact) would have cost them the gain. Outside of two or three quality gains, Barkley was made to be no better than the running backs that spelled him when he needed a breather.

Altogether, Barkley had 93 of the Giants’ 124 rushing yards on 24 attempts. More often than not, he failed to move the ball in any substantial matter, posting a success rate of 38 percent. The rushing attack in total generated -0.31 expected points added per play. On the final play before half, when New York quarterback Tyrod Taylor checked into a run with just a yard to go, the defense came up with a stop.

Aside from Taylor’s final gift to Bills mafia, Buffalo put the Giants behind the chains early and often. It was clear they wanted to limit possessions, and the run defense forced them to do so through the air.

They may have been the only unit to play fundamentally sound football virtually all night long.

2. Fans should thank their lucky stars for receiver Stefon Diggs.

This notebook has featured sections about Diggs before, as well as stars winning teams games.

It wasn’t his most dynamic affair. He didn’t even score a touchdown. But imagining what this offense would have looked like without him is genuine nightmare fuel.

Diggs was targeted on 16 of quarterback Josh Allen’s 30 attempts, hauling in 10 catches for 100 yards. No other player had more than three receptions.

Whether this offense is genuinely broken or Sunday was an anomaly is debatable, but Buffalo needed him to be a star, and he was. From quick hitters on early downs to the seven first downs to his name, Diggs was the only player outside of Allen who looked redeemable.

He was the only Bills weapon with both multiple catches and positive expected points added on the day. Perhaps most importantly, he was able to remain on the same page as Allen out of structure, extending drives and keeping the offense afloat, even if the Bills would prefer to never have a showing like that again.

3. A smaller quarterback does not win this football game.

Allen didn’t play particularly well on Sunday. He was banged up, accounted for just 180 yards, and may have made the game’s second-most baffling decision of the night if the call to run a bootleg on third down with 1:36 remaining if that call were to be his to make.

Even so, Buffalo in all likelihood would not have won this one if its quarterback, who was pressured all night, took basically any sacks.

Somehow, Allen escaped every single time. He was simply too athletic, covered too much ground, and shook off too many white-clad defenders. The Giants had him dead to rights on seemingly every drive, only for him to mitigate the potential damage with an incompletion or pull a rabbit out of his hat and move the chains.

From a pure sack-avoidance standpoint, it was one of the most impressive games of the season. Any smaller and the Bills would be in third place as they prepare for a Week 7 date with the New England Patriots.