Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills escape Sunday night's matchup with the New York Giants victorious, but didn't make anything look easy.
In Brian Daboll's return to Highmark Stadium on "Sunday Night Football", the Bills overcame a sluggish start, and eventually held off one final push from the Giants to earn a 14-9 victory.
Both teams started their opening drives of the game with quick three-and-outs, with Buffalo receiving the opening kickoff of the game.
The Bills' second drive of the game came to an untimely end with about nine-and-a-half minutes left in the opening quarter when wide receiver Gabe Davis fumbled the ball while trying to gain extra yards. The Giants ended up recovering the ball, giving New York the ball at their own 45-yard line.
With great field position to work with, former Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor found wideout Darius Slayton for 27 yards to get the Giants into enemy territory.
Although New York gets as far as the Bills' eight-yard line, the Giants failed to find the end zone, and ended up taking a 29-yard field goal from kicker Graham Gano to get on the board,
Buffalo's third drive of the game started off with a 28-yard completion from quarterback Josh Allen to wide receiver Stefon Diggs, but the Bills failed to capitalize from there, electing to punt from the Giants' 37-yard line.
The Bills defense clamped down on the Giants at the end of the first quarter with a big sack of Taylor to force a punt.
With about nine-and-a-half minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Bills, once again, failed to get anything clicking offensively, but set up kicker Tyler Bass with a chance to even the score from 52 yards out. However, his field goal attempt ended up being pushed wide-right.
The Giants were, once again, able to turn a missed Bills opportunity into points on the scoreboard, as they settled for three more points with a 43-yard field goal from Gano after reaching as far as the Bills' 19-yard line.
On Buffalo's next drive, Allen was forced to come out of the game after taking a late hit that ended up getting the Bills 15 yards for roughing the passer. While Allen was off the field for a pair of plays to get tested for a concussion, the Bills turned to Kyle Allen under center for a pair of run plays.
Then on a 3rd-and-inches, the Bills turned to the run again with running back Damien Harris, who ended up getting the first down but remained down on the field. He ended up being taken off the field in an ambulance with a neck injury, and was quickly deemed out of the game.
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Two plays later, Allen attempted a pass intended for tight end Dawson Knox, but saw his throw tipped into the air and picked off by linebacker Micah McFadden with 2:30 to go in the half.
The Giants managed to drive back down the field, looking to cast another blow to the Bills just before halftime and with the opening kickoff going their way. After a pass interference on cornerback Kaiir Elam set the Giants up at the Bills' one-yard line with 14 seconds remaining in the second quarter, New York turned to running back Saquon Barkley without any timeouts, but he was stopped short of the goal line and the clock hit 0:00 for the half.
The Giants received the opening kickoff for the second half and drove quickly into Bills territory. However, a fumble by Taylor set up a 3rd-and-long that New York could not overcome. They ended up punting the ball after being backed well out of field goal range.
Allen and the offense went to work on Buffalo's first drive of the second half, chewing up 9:58 of game clock over 15 plays to finally get into the end zone.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Bills converted from three yards out, as Allen tossed a pass to wide receiver Deonte Harty, who had wide-open space to give the Bills a 7-6 lead.
The Giants' next possession saw a pair of big runs of 19 and 34 yards from Barkley, quickly getting New York back into Buffalo territory. Once again, though, the Giants could not punch the ball in the end zone, and ended up re-taking the lead with a 29-yard field goal from Gano.
Trailing once again, 9-7, Allen and the offense marched down the field again, chewing away at the Giants with a 12-play drive this time and eating 6:47 of game clock. Then on a second down from the Giants' 15-yard line, Allen scrambled and fired a dart to tight end Quintin Morris for a 15-yard touchdown to give Buffalo a 14-9 lead.
Down by five, the Giants needed to find some life in their drive, but ended up turning the ball over on downs when a fourth down Taylor pass fell incomplete to Slayton with Christian Benford in coverage.
With the ball in Giants territory, the Bills failed to eat up as much clock as possible, trying to deal the Giants the final blow on a third down passing play that fell incomplete to tight end Dawson Knox. To make matters worse, Bass' 53-yard field goal attempt pushed wide-right again, giving the Giants the ball back with 1:25 remaining in regulation.
With hope still alive for the Giants, Taylor and the offense continued to push down the field with some timely conversions on the drive to extend play.
With two seconds left in the game and the ball at the Bills' 10-yard line, the Bills forced an incompletion, but were flagged for pass interference in the end zone to give the Giants one more untimed down.
On the final play of the game, Taylor attempted a lob pass to tight end Darren Waller, but Taron Johnson was in coverage and managed to force an incompletion to end the game and preserve a Buffalo victory.
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GAME SUMMARY
First Quarter:
- 3-0 NEW YORK: Giants field goal (3:19) - Graham Gano's 29-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 12 plays, 45 yards, 6:01
Second Quarter:
- 6-0 NEW YORK: Giants field goal (5:08) - Graham Gano's 43-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 9 plays, 34 yards, 4:26
Third Quarter:
- No scoring plays
Fourth Quarter:
- 7-6 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (14:54) - Josh Allen tosses a three-yard touchdown pass to Deonte Harty. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 17 plays, 89 yards, 9:58
- 9-7 NEW YORK: Giants field goal (10:35) - Graham Gano's 29-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 9 plays, 79 yards, 4:19
- 14-7 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (3:48) - Josh Allen fires a 15-yard strike to Quintin Morris for a touchdown. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:47
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SKYWOKS EQUIPMENT RENTAL STATS OF THE GAME
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What's next:
The Bills head back on the road for Week 7 to take on their AFC East rival New England Patriots next Sunday, Oct. 22 for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Pregame coverage starts at 7 a.m. ET on the official voice of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.