Giants 38 - 21 Bills

Fueled by a strong performance by the defense, the Giants booked a trip to the playoffs today with a 38-21 win over the Bills in Buffalo.

The Giants had gone down 14-0 in the first quarter, but their running game was used to great effectiveness and Brandon Jacobs scored twice before leaving it the fourth quarter with a swollen ankle. His replacement, Ahmad Bradshaw, scored on an 88-yard touchdown run with just over six minutes left to play to make it 31-21 to ensure the victory.

So, with the playoff spot sealed (a trip to Tampa Bay on January 6th is all but a certainty), it’ll be interesting to see what type of team Tom Coughlin sends out against the Patriots for the home finale on Saturday night. The Pats are still pursuing a perfect 16-0 record. Will the Giants want to prevent that, or will they concentrate on keeping their players healthy with an eye towards the playoffs. Given last year’s early exit, I’d like to see a bit more emphasis put on getting past the first round, so perhaps resting a few players may be the way to go.

Anyway, the Pats game will be broadcast nationally on the NFL Network at 8PM ET on Saturday. I should be in the city that night, so I’m sure it’ll be on wherever I find myself.