By Patricia Traina
EAST RUTHERFORD—The New York Giants, who have been victimized by the big play in the past, held off the Buffalo Bills, 27-24, despite the Giants defense giving up two of its longest plays from scrimmage, an 80-yard touchdown run by Buffalo running back Fred Jackson and a 60-yard touchdown reception by wideout Naaman Roosevelt.
It was the Giants first regular season home victory against Buffalo since their initial meeting on Dec. 6, 1970, a 20-6 decision at Yankee Stadium. The win also snapped a three-game home losing streak that had spanned 41 years.
The Bills, who recorded both of their big plays in the first quarter on two consecutive drives that gave them a 14-7 first quarter lead over New York, accumulated 195 yards of offense in the first 15 minutes before the Giants defense clamped down on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and company.
Meanwhile the Giants offense, which did not turn the ball over, found success against a Bills defense that failed to sack quarterback Eli Manning. New York also recorded its first 100-yard rushing performance this season via running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who also recorded his first-ever game with three rushing touchdowns, all from one-yard out, his sixth career multi-touchdown game.
"Bradshaw is an inspiration by the energy and the way he plays," said head coach Tom Coughlin. "He is a tough, hard-nosed guy who wants the ball and will do what you ask him to do from a blocking standpoint. He is very competitive and from the standpoint of wanting to play according to the example he sets, it is a good one."
The Giants sandwiched one of Bradshaw's touchdown runs in between the two first-quarter scores by Buffalo, got a 26-yard field goal from K Lawrence Tynes on their first drive of the second quarter to make it 14-10 in favor of the Bills.
That was the last time Buffalo would lead, as on their next drive, Bradshaw scored the second of his three rushing touchdowns, capping a five-play, 89-yard scoring drive to make it 17-14, Giants.
The Bills, who forged a 17-17 tie with 44 seconds left in the half on kicker Rian Lindell's 49-yard field goal, saw the Giants pull ahead in the second half. New York capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive with tight end Jake Ballard, who finished with a career-best five catches for 81 yards, recording two of his receptions for 31 yards.
On the ninth play of the drive, Manning appeared to have connected with wideout Mario Manningham for a seven-yard touchdown reception; however, the replay official ruled that Manningham had not crossed the plane of the end zone. That gave the Giants third and one at the Bills' one to set up Bradshaw's third rushing touchdown of the afternoon for the 24-17 Giants lead.
Buffalo fought back to tie the score at 24 with 8:57 left in the fourth quarter when Fitzpatrick found wide receiver Stevie Johnson, who beat Webster to the corner of the end zone for the nine-yard, game-tying score.
With Buffalo threatening, with 4:02 left in regulation, Webster notched his second interception of the game, this one on his own 19 yard line.
The Giants took advantage of the Buffalo turnover by going 76 yards in nine plays, scoring on a 23-yard field goal by kicker Lawrence Tynes to break the tie and give the Giants the 27-24 lead.
Defensively, the Giants aggressive front, which has recorded at least two sacks in each of its games this season, added three more to give them 21 on the season. The sacks came against a Buffalo offensive line that previously had allowed just three sacks in five games against Fitzpatrick.
New York also came up with two big second-half interceptions by cornerback Corey Webster, who also had a 34-yard interception for a touchdown against the Bills the last time the two teams met on Dec. 23, 2007 in Buffalo. Webster's first pick set up the failed 51-yard field goal attempt by Tynes, who had his kick blocked. Webster's second pick, meanwhile, set up the Giants' game-winning touchdown drive.
"We just needed an opportunity to give the offense back the ball so the second one just set things up a little better," said Webster.
Another significant difference for the Giants was their ability to shut down Bills RB Fred Jackson, who had 82 yards on his first two carries from scrimmage. Following his 80-yard touchdown run, the Giants limited Jackson to just 2.7 yards per carry.
With the win, the Giants, who head into their bye week, improved to 18-5 in games played before the bye. That ties the Dallas Cowboys for the NFL's best record in games played before the bye.
Game Notes: RG Chris Snee, who was inactive due to lingering effects of a concussion suffered in the previous week's game, saw his streak of consecutive games started snapped at 101. … Bills RB Fred Jackson's 80-yard first quarter touchdown run was also the longest play from scrimmage allowed by New York this season.
