The New York Giants put up a valiant fight against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, but their comeback attempt fell short as they lost 14-9 at Highmark Stadium. The Giants trailed 14-3 in the fourth quarter but scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run by Saquon Barkley, who had a strong performance in his first game back from injury. Barkley finished with 98 rushing yards and four catches for five yards1.
The Giants had a chance to win the game on the final play, as they drove to the Bills’ 15-yard line with four seconds left. Tyrod Taylor threw a pass to Darren Waller in the end zone, but the tight end could not make the catch as he was contacted by Bills safety Micah Hyde. The Giants wanted a pass interference call, but the officials did not throw a flag.
The Bills celebrated their fourth win of the season, as they improved to 4-2 and maintained their lead in the AFC East. The Bills’ offense was led by Josh Allen, who threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns, both to rookie tight ends Deonte Harty and Quintin Morris. The Bills also ran for 128 yards, with James Cook leading the way with 71 yards.
The Giants dropped to 1-5 and remained at the bottom of the NFC East. The Giants’ offense struggled to score points, as they settled for three field goals by Graham Gano before Barkley’s touchdown. Taylor, who started in place of the injured Daniel Jones, threw for 200 yards and an interception. He also ran for 24 yards, but fumbled twice, losing one of them.
The Giants’ defense played well for most of the game, holding the Bills to two field goals in the first half. The Giants forced three turnovers, two by rookie linebacker Micah McFadden, who had an interception and a fumble recovery. The Giants also sacked Allen four times, with Bobby Okereke leading the team with two sacks.
However, the Giants could not stop the Bills on two crucial drives in the second half, as Allen led them to touchdowns of 75 and 80 yards. The Bills converted several third downs and kept the Giants’ defense on the field for long stretches. The Bills also benefited from some questionable calls by the officials, such as a roughing the passer penalty on Okereke that extended their final scoring drive.
The Giants will try to bounce back next week when they host the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium. The Bills will travel to Miami to face the Dolphins in a divisional matchup.