Bills at Giants
THE STORY: When the surprising Buffalo Bills visit the enigmatic New York Giants in a rematch of Super Bowl XXV, few believe that they’ll meet again in the postseason finale. Two weeks ago, New York rallied from a 10-point deficit with five minutes to play to defeat Arizona, but last week it squandered a fourth-quarter lead on the way to a 36-25 loss to the lowly Seattle Seahawks. While crucial turnovers continue to plague the Giants, Buffalo has taken advantage of the miscues in its stunning start. The Bills posted another upset win last week, building a big lead and holding off Michael Vick and the Eagles.
TV: CBS, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Giants -3, O/U 49.5
ABOUT THE BILLS (4-1): Buffalo has already equaled last season’s win total with its fourth victory last week. The Bills forced five turnovers in the game on the way to a 31-24 victory. Fred Jackson leads Buffalo with 712 yards from scrimmage, third in the NFL. The Bills have scored 30 or more points in four games this season and rank second in the AFC at 32.8 ppg. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has completed 55 of 76 throws in the second half of games. WR Donald Jones will miss the game with a high ankle sprain. Jones is the fourth receiver to go down this year for the “Mis-Fitz” offense, which traded always its most experienced receiver, Lee Evans, in the offseason.
ABOUT THE GIANTS (3-2): Eli Manning has become a one-man show on offense. Manning threw for a career-high 420 yards last week. He is third in the NFC with a 102.3 passer rating. But New York continues to get little out of its once-vaunted running game. The Giants have not had a back rush for 100 yards in any game this season. They rank near the bottom of the NFL at 83 yards a game and 3.1 per carry. And things don’t look to get much better in that department this week, especially if running back Brandon Jacobs (knee) and Pro Bowl guard Chris Snee (concussion) miss the game. Snee is questionable along with defensive stars Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Buffalo ranks first in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 75 percent of its chances inside the 20. The Bills have not ranked better than 15th in that category since 1993.
2. The teams have met just five times since 1991, with Buffalo holding a 3-2 advantage.
3. Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell served as Buffalo’s interim head coach in 2009.