The New York Giants walked out of Buffalo with a 34-25 preseason win that gave fans plenty to cheer about.
Rookie Abdul Carter looked every bit the No. 3 overall pick New York envisioned when they drafted him in April.
Running back Dante Miller and receiver Montrell Washington flashed enough speed and shiftiness to make you think they could be sneaky contributors once the games start counting.
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart stole the show with a poised and versatile debut, completing 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown while adding 24 yards on the ground. And the offense moved the ball, special teams made some plays, and several young guys stepped up.
But underneath all of that excitement, the same concern that plagued them last season showed its face again, and that’s the run defense.
Buffalo averaged nearly four yards per carry, ripping off multiple long gains that kept drives alive.
The Bills found success between the tackles, outside the edges, and in situations where the Giants should have been in position to make these stops and get their defense off the field.
Gap discipline slipped, tackles were missed, and ball carriers too often reached the second level without multiple Giants putting their hands on the guy with the ball.
This was supposed to be a point of progress in 2025. Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen spent the offseason adding size and depth to the front seven, hoping to shut down the steady chunk runs that killed momentum last year.
But against the Bills' rushing attack, which was operating without its full complement of starters, the issues from last season looked familiar.
The problem isn’t all about the yards per carry number. It’s about when those runs happen and how they impact the flow of a game.
In Buffalo, several of the Bills’ biggest runs came on early downs, putting the Giants’ defense behind the sticks before the snap. Instead of forcing second- or third-and-long, they were dealing with manageable situations that opened up Buffalo’s entire playbook.
On their first scoring drive of the day, they attacked on the ground and found great success. An eight-play drive, and 4 of those were runs for four or more yards and moving the chains in the process.
In the regular season, that’s a dangerous formula, especially with the schedule New York is facing out of the gate. They’ll open in Washington, then travel to Dallas. After that, it’s Kansas City and the Chargers at home, followed by a trip to New Orleans, a home date with Philadelphia, and road games in Denver and Philly again.
Those are offenses that can lean on the run to set up explosive plays through the air. Give them four yards a carry and watch them control the clock, wear down your front, and dictate the flow and tempo of the game.
The Giants’ offense might have the firepower to keep up. The receiving corps is deeper than in years past. Russell Wilson’s experience and ability to stretch the field could be an X-factor at some point this season.
But if the defense can’t stop the run, those strengths may never get a chance to matter. Sustained drives shorten the opportunities for your offense and keep your playmakers on the sidelines, and tilt time of possession in the wrong direction.
Preseason stats can be tricky to evaluate. Coaches are rotating players in and out, experimenting with looks, and often running different schemes. But tackling, gap integrity, and setting the edge aren’t just about play design; they’re about execution, discipline, and effort. Those habits don’t magically appear in Week 1. They’re built in training camp and early August.
Buffalo exposed that the Giants’ run defense is still in need of work. Even with the lead, the Giants struggled to completely shut down the Bills’ rushing lanes. That’s not just about defensive linemen getting pushed back. It’s about linebackers filling their assignments, safeties cleaning up plays when they break past the point of attack, and everyone understanding their fits.
Saturday was a reminder that the NFL is a league where small cracks can become game-breaking problems. The Giants’ rookies showed plenty of promise, and the offense looks like it has more juice than in recent years. But the inability to consistently stonewall the run could undermine all the progress we have seen from that side of the ball.
Until the Giants prove they can close those rushing lanes, this team will be carrying the same weakness into September that haunted them last season, where they only managed three wins.
