Giants vs. Bills: Victor Cruz Headlines Players To Watch

Jon Beason

Sep 24, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants linebacker Jon Beason (52) calls a defensive play against the Washington Redskins during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Beason surprisingly made his 2015 debut last week against the Redskins on a short week. He didn’t record a tackle in the game, but the most important thing was that he was able to make it through without any setbacks. That means he will be back on the field this week against the Bills as the starting middle linebacker, and should be in for a bigger role as well.

The Giants will need it, as the Bills will look to overpower them in the run game with Karlos Williams as the focal point of their offense. With Beason in the middle, it makes not only the Giants run defense that much stronger, but their defense as a whole. He knows where to get everyone lined up at, and despite being with the team for only a couple of seasons is the unquestioned leader of the unit that has lost the likes of Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Antrel Rolle and Mathias Kiwanuka over the past couple of seasons.

With 10 days between the Redskins game and the game against the Bills Sunday, Beason will have had plenty of time to rest up. He was on the field for only 28 plays, or 36 percent of the Giants defensive snaps. Expect that number to increase against the Bills along with the impact that he will have on the game. Beason is getting stronger and will only add to a Giants defense that is relying on a ton of young players to play prominent roles.

As long as Beason is on the field and healthy, and unit is better as a whole. It will be interesting to see how much more Beason plays this week, and will be something to keep an eye on until Beason and the Giants proclaim their veteran fully healthy.

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