1. IT'S A SUPER BOWL XXV REMATCH
It was 25 seasons ago, but the memory of Buffalo's heartbreaking loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XXV lives on for many Bills fans. The Giants are more than happy to remember their one point win. They welcomed back many members of their 1990 NFL Championship team for a halftime ceremony in the Meadowlands two weeks ago.
Sunday's game is the first of three games the Bills will play against the teams that beat them in the Super Bowl more than 20-years ago. The Bills play at Washington on December 20th (Super Bowl XXVI) and the Cowboys come to Orchard Park on December 27th (Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII).
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- BILLS ARE LOOKING TO KEEP THEIR NFC WINNING STREAK GOING**
The Bills went unbeaten against the NFC last season, winning all four games against the North Division (Bears, Vikings, Lions, and Packers). This week, Buffalo takes on the first of four NFC East opponents on the 2015 schedule.
3. THE RETURN OF "SALSA" TO THE GIANTS LINEUP
Giants receiver Victor Cruz has made his mark in the end zone with his TD celebration salsa dance. But he's also made his mark by getting into the end zone. And Cruz is expected to be in the lineup in Buffalo for the first time in almost a year. He tore the patellar tendon in his right leg last October and has fought his way back to health.
Cruz, in his sixth year, says "I'm convinced I 'm playing Sunday." Head Coach Tom Coughlin says "He's anxious to go." When he was asked if he'll be emotional about Cruz return to the lineup, Coughlin told the New York media "I will when he goes into the end zone."
4. A CHANCE FOR SAMMY VS ODELL MATCHUP
The Giants most productive wideout is second year man Odell Beckham, Jr. with 19 catches so far this year; two of them for touchdowns.
If Sammy Watkins is healthy for the Bills, two of the top 12 receivers in the 2014 receiver-rich NFL Draft will be on the field.
Beckham exploded into the NFL in 2014 finishing the year with 91-catches for 1300 yards. He cemented his reputation as a top young talent with his iconic one-handed end zone grab on Sunday night football last November.
Bills Safety Bacarri Rambo has already started studying Beckham.
"He does it all," Rambo said, in an appearance on The John Murphy Show. "He can run, he's got speed. Great ball skills-tremendous ball skills."
Rambo says the one-handed grab last November was an eye-opener.
"This guy, he's got that Michael Jordan thing. The way he caught that ball, I thought it was Michael Jordan in Space Jam."
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- HEAVIER WORKLOAD FOR RB KARLOS WILLIAMS?**
The status of Bills RB LeSean McCoy for Sunday's game is likely to be in doubt most of the week. If so, expect rookie RB Karlos Williams to stand in as the Bills top ball-carrier this week.
With three rushing TDs in his first three NFL games, Williams has made his mark already. He was asked in the locker room Tuesday whether he expected to settle in to the NFL so quickly.
"Not off the bat," he said. "I came in to learn from the guys we had in here-- from Shady, from Fred, from Bryce, from Boobie—we had Felton. You come in here to learn as much as you can, as much as possible and contribute on special teams. I did a little bit of that, but now I see that I'm contributing more on offense than anywhere else. I'm very excited about it. I'm happy about that success, but it doesn't stop there. After the game, I have to get right back to work."
6. ELI'S COMING
It will be just the second regular season game at Ralph Wilson Stadium for two-time Super Bowl winning QB Eli Manning. He's 2-0 overall against the Bills, including a victory in his lone Orchard Park game.
That was a memorable one. In 2007, the Giants rallied from a 14-0 deficit in the rain and wind of Ralph Wilson Stadium to score a 38-21 win over the Bills. New York ran up 291-yards on the ground and with winds gusting up to 50-miles per hour. Manning was only able to attempt 15-passes, completing seven of them.
The Giants win that day clinched a Wild Card Playoff spot, and they went on to upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl six weeks later.
7. ANOTHER OPPONENT WITH EXTRA PREP TIME
The Giants, like the Patriots a few weeks ago, get three extra days to get ready for their trip to Buffalo. New York last played on Thursday, September 24th against Washington. In fact, three of Buffalo's first five opponents get extra prep time before they play the Bills. The Titans, Buffalo's opponents next week, will be coming off their bye.
