Sunday’s matchup between the Bills and Giants was expected to be a lopsided affair in Buffalo’s favor.
While the Bills came away with 14-9 victory on Sunday Night Football, it certainly wasn’t easy.
The Giants had a chance to win it on an untimed down after a Bills pass interference penalty in the end zone put the ball on the 1-yard line to end the game. But Tyrod Taylor’s pass to Darren Waller fell incomplete, giving Buffalo the win.
It was the second time the Giants had an opportunity to score from the 1-yard line at the end of the half. Both times, New York came away with zero points.
Buffalo was held scoreless through the first three quarters. But on the first play of the final frame, quarterback Josh Allen connected with Deonte Harty on a swing pass to the left for a 3-yard touchdown that gave the Bills a 7-6 lead.
That play capped a massively long 17-play, 84-yard drive that took 9:58 off the clock.
The Giants scored a field goal on their ensuing drive to go back up 9-7. But the Bills responded with another long drive that ended in a touchdown. On this score, Allen bought time in the backfield before firing a 15-yard touchdown to tight end Quintin Morris — Morris’ first catch of the 2023 season.
New York couldn’t sustain its next possession, with quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s fourth-down pass to Darius Slayton falling incomplete deep down the left sideline.
But the Bills couldn’t effectively end the game either. An Allen third-down pass to Dawson Knox fell incomplete and Tyler Bass missed his second field goal of the game to keep New York’s hopes alive.
As poorly as New York managed the clock at the end of the second quarter, the team did a great job managing it to end the game. Taylor — playing for an injured Daniel Jones — engineered a 13-play drive that picked up four first downs.
With two seconds left, Waller was interfered with in the end zone as time expired, setting up an untimed down from the 1-yard line. Taylor was looking for Waller again in the end zone, but the pass fell incomplete. Waller’s jersey was held by cornerback Taron Johnson, but it didn’t result in a penalty.
The Giants did have more opportunities to score, particularly at the end of the second quarter. New York had no timeouts and the ball on the 1-yard line with 14 seconds left — enough time for the Giants to run a couple of pass plays. But Taylor appeared to check to a run and Barkley was stopped for no gain.
The Giants couldn’t get another snap off before time ran out in the second quarter.
Head coach Brian Daboll appeared apoplectic on the sideline, yelling at coaches and Taylor as the team went in for the break.
Notably, Bills running back Damien Harris had to exit the field in an ambulance late in the second quarter after staying down when he was tackled on a short run. The Bills announced that Harris had a neck injury and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Harris had movement in his arms and legs.
Now at 1-5, the Giants will host the Commanders in Week 7.
The 4-2 Bills will also take on a division rival, but they’ll be on the road to face the reeling Patriots.
