Hero, Nero, Zero for Giants' Win Over Bills

Two weeks removed from a second fourth-quarter meltdown that left them 0-2 and staring into the abyss of a potentially lost season, the Giants have won two games in a row and now find themselves tied for first place in the NFC East.

One can draw direct parallels between the Giants’ 24-10 victory over Buffalo on Sunday and the team’s rise to the top of the division: the G-Men have been helped as much by their own efforts as they have by the shortcomings of their opponents and division rivals.

Buffalo was penalized 17 times for 135 yards and the team was playing without two of its top three playmakers, running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

Yes, a win is a win is a win, and all that bottom line philosophy that Bill Parcells always spouted – “You are what your record says you are” -- but in the interest of offending those people who disdain nuance, let’s acknowledge that the Giants still exhibited their fair share of insanity and ineptitude in the victory over the Bills.

So in addition to handing out a participation trophy for Hero, let’s make sure we hand out a bright flaming fiddle to the game's Nero and a Ziploc bag full of hot air to the game's Zero. No need to bring three different gentlemen to the dais, as all three honors go to Eli Manning.

Hero: Eli Manning.

In advance of this game against Buffalo, which came in leading the league in rushing offense and rushing defense, it seemed incumbent upon the Giants to either stick to their normal game plan for victories -- Odell Beckham Jr. going for 150 yards and two touchdowns, with Manning protecting the ball and the defense producing turnovers -- or to go off-script and get other people involved.

Well, wouldn’t ya know it, the Giants broke from script -- ya know, except for more idiotic late-game play calling (more on that in a bit) -- and received contributions from a wide net of players, including special teams stalwart Dwayne Harris (who caught the game’s first touchdown) and linebacker Devon Kennard (who made a tremendous play intercepting a throw down the sideline).

Add in the game-sealing, 51-yard catch and run by running back Rashad Jennings, who broke several tackles and threw a one-arm shiver into Bills defensive back Baccari Rambo; the team's final touchdown catch by Rueben Randle; and the ongoing brilliance of punter Brad Wing, and you have a Giants victory that was undergirded by contributions from all three phases of the game.

Kudos to Manning on getting so many players involved on offense. Speaking of Eli …

Nero: Manning!

What in the wide world of sports is the matter with that boy? Leading 24-10 with 3:51 left in the fourth quarter, the Giants had third and eight from the Bills 8-yard line. Instead of simply running the ball and (most likely) bringing up a fourth down, which would have prompted the Giants to kick a field goal and go up by three scores, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo called for quick slant pass.

The level of dumb runs deeps with that one. The Giants already earned a permanent spot in the Pantheon of Stupidity when they mismanaged the end of the opening-game loss to the Cowboys. Then they coughed up another double-digit lead to the Falcons in Week 2. And now, on the verge of going 2-2 -- with a victory on the road over a favored opponent -- the team calls for a pass play inside the 10-yard line with a 14-point lead and less than four minutes to play.

The football gods were not sleeping on this one and justifiably steered Manning’s pass into the hands of Stephon Gilmore of the Bills.

There wasn’t a Giants fans on earth who didn’t drop a string of poetic expletives after that demonstration of stupidity. The play call was McAdoo’s, but the ultimate decision and action both rested with Manning.

Zero: Number of interceptions Manning had this season until that boneheaded throw.

It’s a good thing the Giants play in the NFC East, where the divisional opponents are either banged up and delusional (Dallas); unwilling to take the training wheels off the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year (Philadelphia); or still owned by Daniel Snyder.

The Giants threw away their first two games against Dallas and Atlanta, and with consecutive victories over Washington and Buffalo, they should very well be 4-0. They have a generous upcoming schedule -- San Francisco; @ Philly; Dallas; @ New Orleans; @ Tampa Bay -- which could allow them to take control of the division.

They just need to stop exhibiting moronic tendencies late in the fourth quarter.  

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