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- GIANTS LOOK TO GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS AGAINST AFC EAST **
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Giants fans perk up when the AFC East comes up on the Giants' schedule every four years because they know what happened the last two times around. In 2007 and 2011, the Giants captured two Super Bowl titles under head coach Tom Coughlin, who is 7-1 against the division in the regular season.
The Buffalo Bills (2-1) are the first up from the division this year as Sunday's kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET at Ralph Wilson Stadium. After defeating the Redskins on Thursday night in Week 3, the Giants (1-2) had 10 days to prepare for what they hope is the start of a winning streak.
2. GIANTS INJURY REPORT
Out: WR Victor Cruz (calf), DE Robert Ayers Jr. (hamstring), TE Jerome Cunningham (knee), DT Markus Kuhn (knee).
Questionable: LT Ereck Flowers (ankle), TE Daniel Fells (ankle).
Probable: CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (concussion), DE Owa Odighizuwa (foot), RB Orleans Darkwa (knee).
**3. BILLS INJURY REPORT
Playmakers on Buffalo's first-team offense, defense, and special teams, presented by Nike
QB TYROD TAYLOR
RB LESEAN MCCOY
FB JEROME FELTON
WR SAMMY WATKINS
WR PERCY HARVIN
TE CHARLES CLAY
RT SEANTREL HENDERSON
RG JOHN MILLER
CENTER ERIC WOOD
LG RICHIE INCOGNITO
LT CORDY GLENN
DE MARIO WILLIAMS
DT KYLE WILLIAMS
DT CORBIN BRYANT
DE JERRY HUGHES
LB MANNY LAWSON
LB PRESTON BROWN
LB NIGEL BRADHAM
CB RONALD DARBY
SAFETY COREY GRAHAM
SAFETY AARON WILLIAMS
CB STEPHON GILMORE
KICKER DAN CARPENTER
PUNTER COLTON SCHMIDT
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Out: RB LeSean McCoy (hamstring), G John Miller (groin), WR Sammy Watkins (calf), S Aaron Williams (neck), WR Marquise Goodwin (ribs).
Probable: WR Percy Harvin (hip), QB Tyrod Taylor (ankle), LB Preston Brown (hamstring), K Dan Carpenter (left knee).
4. WR CORPS STEPS UP WITHOUT CRUZ; RB'S TOO?
Down to four healthy players at the position, it's all hands on deck in the receiving room. In addition to Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle, who got going in Week 3 with 116 yards and a touchdown, Dwayne Harris and Geremy Davis will look to be factors from the third wide receiver spot.
Meanwhile, running back Shane Vereen, who is second on the team in receptions, can pretty much line up anywhere and catch the ball.
5. REX BOASTS NO. 1 RUSH OFFENSE, DEFENSE
Unsurprisingly under new coach Rex Ryan, the Bills enter Week 4 with the No. 1 rushing offense (yards per game) as well as the top rushing defense (74.0). Conversely, the Giants are No. 2 against the run (74.7) and 23rd on the ground offensively (93.3).
"The theory and the concept behind how they play is there definitely," coach Tom Coughlin said of how the former Jets head coach runs his new team. "That's Rex's team, Rex's concept of X's and O's."
6. QB TAYLOR A FORCE TO DEFEND
While he'll play without his starting running back (McCoy), wide receiver (Watkins), and right guard (Miller), Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is a "force" to defend. In addition to having 4.5 speed, he is completing 74.4 percent of his passes with a rating of 116.1.
"Tyrod can throw the ball, man," said Giants cornerback Jayron Hosley, who was teammates with Taylor at Virginia Tech. "As much as people like to talk about how versatile he is with running the ball and being able to scramble and escape the pocket and make guys miss, he can throw that ball. He can put the ball on the money. He's got a nice, soft touch. He's a complete quarterback. You can't just look at him as a one-[dimensional] guy."
7. OWA TO SUIT UP?
A foot injury has kept rookie third-round pick Owa Odighizuwa from making his NFL debut. But all of that could change Sunday as the UCLA product was able to practice fully this week. With Ayers, a fellow defensive end, ruled out, Odighizuwa could have an expanded role in Week 4 if the coaches deem him ready.
"It puts that whole thing into play, for sure, in more than one way if he does get to dress," Coughlin said. "He practiced enough and well this week. He hasn't played in a while, so it may be that he would be fatigued and we may have to look at it that way if, in fact, he plays."
8. BECKHAM SHEDS ROOKIE LABEL ON SUNDAY
Missing the first four games of his first NFL season did not stop wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. from becoming the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. But, as Eli Manning liked to point out this summer, that meant Beckham still had four games to go before shedding his rookie label. That sentence concludes with the final whistle on Sunday.
"Oh yeah, man, that's awesome actually," Beckham said when he was reminded of finishing his "rookie" season. "Got one more game."
However, Beckham already the most catches (110) by a player in his first 16 NFL games – despite only playing 15 so far – and is only 19 yards behind Bill Groman (1,593) for the most receiving yards during that span. With a 100-yard receiving game on Sunday, Beckham would tie Groman (nine) for the most in a player's first 16 games.
9. MORE MANNING MILESTONES
Giants quarterback Eli Manning needs 33 passing yards (40,519) to move into 13th place and pass Hall of Famer Joe Montana on the NFL career passing yardage list. Earlier in the year, Manning moved ahead of Johnny Unitas (40,239).
10. SUPER BOWL XXV REMATCH
The 2015 NFL regular-season schedule features 19 Super Bowl rematches as part of the year-long celebration of Super Bowl 50. In addition to Giants vs. Patriots (XLII and XLVI) in Week 10, Giants vs. Bills is a rematch of Super Bowl XXV, which the Giants won 20-19.
[**>> 25 STORIES ABOUT SUPER BOWL XXV
Keep an eye on these five players as the Giants face the Bills
CB PRINCE AMUKAMARA Without fellow corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (concussion) last week against Washington, Amukamara stepped up and sparked the Giants with his first interception of the season. The play led to an early lead for the Giants as they picked up their first victory. Now Amukamara gets back Rodgers-Cromartie just in time to try to contain Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and the No. 3 scoring offense. "Just being smart and disciplined," Amukamara said of the key to the defense. "Anytime you have a quarterback that can run and pass, if you're supposed to be outside, be outside, if you're supposed to be inside, be inside, and just don't let them get the running game going. Once they get the running game going they can play action us, boot us, and then we'll have a big problem."
TE LARRY DONNELL Tight ends Daniel Fells (ankle) and Jerome Cunningham (knee) are battling injuries right now, leaving Larry Donnell as the only healthy one on the roster. Donnell has 10 catches for 81 yards through the first three games and a lone touchdown that came in Week 2. "We anticipated coming into the week that we could possibly be short on numbers," McAdoo said. "We just have to have everything backed up, that's all."
DE OWA ODIGHIZUWA The third-round pick out of UCLA is looking to become the last active member of the Giants' 2015 draft class to make his NFL debut. Odighizuwa missed the first three games with a foot injury but was upgraded this week to a full participant in practice. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo needs all the fresh legs he can get up front against Buffalo's No. 1 rushing attack. "He's got some juice," Spagnuolo said of Odighizuwa. "I think he's a strong edge player, I think he can play tight ends well. So I hope that helps us in the run defense and certainly when we get to a throwing down, some of those third downs, I'm hopeful, we're all hopeful, that he can bring something to the pass rush."
RB SHANE VEREEN With Victor Cruz (calf) again ruled out for Sunday, the Giants have just four active receivers who will likely suit up in Buffalo. That's where a player like Shane Vereen, who holds the Super Bowl record for most receptions by a running back, could come in handy. Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo was asked this week if he is willing to use Vereen as a wide receiver. "Sure," he responded. "Why not?" Vereen is second only to Odell Beckham Jr. on the team to with 12 receptions this season.
WR DWAYNE HARRIS A week after getting Rueben Randle going (he had seven catches for 116 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown that sealed the victory), the Giants will try to ramp up their production from the third wide receiver spot, which includes Dwayne Harris and rookie Geremy Davis. They have just one catch between them through three games. "You'd like to have everybody have plays distributed," coach Tom Coughlin said. "We got Rueben going, we need to get that spot going."
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