EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Here are my hot reads from the Buffalo Bills' 28-14 victory against the New York Giants Sunday at MetLife Stadium:
Hottest topic: The Bills are 2-0 for the first time since 2014.
Let that sink in a little bit.
After winning a wobbly season-opener here last Sunday against the New York Jets, the Bills came back to do exactly what needed to be done against an inferior opponent.
[ Observations: Bills' defense rights itself after shaky start against Giants ]
Josh Allen didn't need a half to get in gear as he did against the Jets. He was solid from the start on the way to completing 19 of 30 passes (63.3%) for 253 yards (making Allen the first quarterback since Jim Kelly to have seven consecutive 200-yard passing games) and a touchdown. That gave him a passer rating of 101.1.
He also made his customary impact with his legs, running seven times for 21 yards, including a six-yard TD run that tied the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter after the Bills took an early gut punch from the Giants' offense.
Allen was more poised and patient than he was in the opener, even when his offensive line was looking less than impressive in the second half.
Saquon Barkley got his rushing yards – 107 of them to be exact. However, other than a dominant-looking opening series that ended with him running 27 yards for a touchdown, Barkley didn't kill the Bills.
The Bills' defense also did a good job of keeping quarterback Eli Manning in check.
Well done: Cole Beasley put on a show in his second start as a Bill.
His biggest play came midway through the second quarter, when, on first-and-20 from the Bills' 35, he managed to find a gaping hole in the Giants' coverage for a 51-yard reception to the New York 14. On the next play, Allen flipped the ball to Isaiah McKenzie, who cut in front of him, for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Bills a 21-7 advantage.
Other Beasley highlights:
• Beasley made an impressive extension to catch a not-so-impressive Allen throw for a 9-yard gain and on third-and-four from the Giants' 43. Allen followed that with a 26-yard connection to McKenzie to help set up Allen's six-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter.
• On third-and-10 from the Giants' 26, Allen fired to Beasley, who came back for the ball and then made a pretty spin move to make it a 12-yard reception.
Buffalo Bills are 2-0 after 28-14 win over New York Giants Other Bills highlights:
• With eight minutes left in the game, rookie running back Devin Singletary showed some excellent explosiveness and elusiveness for a 20-yard run to the the Giants' 3. After a personal foul penalty on the Giants on a 21-yard field goal by Stephen Hauschka brought the Buffalo offense back on the field, Frank Gore ran for a 1-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach.
• Safety Micah Hyde blasted Bennie Fowler III to break up what would have been a 19-yard third-down completion at the Bills' 10-yard line. On the next play, Aldrick Rosas was wide left on a 48-yard field-goal attempt.
• Frank Gore and rookie Singletary combined for 125 yards and each ran for a touchdown. Singletary left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
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Ice cold: On the game's first possession, it seemed that the worst nightmare for the Bills and their fans was coming true. The defense had no answers for the Giants' best player, Barkley, who ran four times for 55 yards, the last of which went for a 27-yard touchdown. Cornerback Tre'Davious White, who was supposed to have containment, took a horrible angle on Barkley.
Other Bills lowlights:
• The Bills' offensive line did some unraveling in the second half, repeatedly drawing penalties and having some issues in pass protection and run-blocking.
• Corey Bojorquez out-kicked his coverage on a 63-yard punt late in the first half, leading to a 60-yard return by T.J. Jones. However, the Bills were saved two plays later when Ed Oliver tipped an Eli Manning pass that Trent Murphy intercepted. The Bills kneeled off the rest of the half.
• Overall, it wasn't a great day for White, who also struggled in coverage at times.
Setting the table: The Bills are working the soft beginning of their schedule to perfection.
The performances haven't necessarily been things of beauty, but what matters is that they've positioned themselves to have some decent momentum going into their first major test: Week 4 against the New England Patriots.
After two visits here, the Bills finally get to play their home-opener at New Era Field against the Cincinnati Bengals. Can anyone say 3-0?
Bills' defense rights itself after shaky start, and more observations
Story topics: buffalo bills / Josh Allen / New York Giants / Saquon Barkley
