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 wide receiver 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 of play 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 QB Eli Manning. New York also posted its first 100-yard rushing performance this season via RB Ahmad Bradshaw, who also recorded his first-ever game with three rushing touchdowns, all from one-yard out, his sixth career multi-touchdown game.
The Giants, who sandwiched one of Bradshaw's touchdown runs in between the two first-quarter scores by Buffalo, got a 26-yard field goal from kicker 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 in the game, as on their next drive, Bradshaw scored the second of his three rushing touchdowns of the day, capping a five-play, 89-yard scoring drive to make it 17-14, Giants.
The Bills, who tied it 17-17 with 44 second 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, quarterback Eli 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, which gave the Giants third and one at the Bills' one. It 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 the game, Webster came up with his second interception, 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 Tynes' 23-yard field goal to give the Giants the 27-24 win.
With the win, the Giants, who now 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. Under head coach Tom Coughlin, the Giants are 5-2 in that scenario.
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. Snee, who held the second-longest streak on the team behind QB Eli Manning's 109 consecutive games played, was last sidelined when he missed the final five games of his rookie season in 2004 with an inflamed gland. … Bills RB Fred Jackson's 80-yard first quarter touchdown run was also the longest play from scrimmage allowed by New York this season.
