Giants vs. Bills: Victor Cruz Headlines Players To Watch

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Mario Williams

Aug 29, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams (94) against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Mario Williams is the biggest name among the Bills defensive line, as the unit as a whole is really the last thing to watch for between the Giants and Bills. Alongside Williams is Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes. Dareus is one of the highest paid and most talented defensive lineman in the NFL, K. Williams is a stud in run defense and Hughes gives the Bills another vaunted pass rusher to bookend M. Williams. It makes for a vaunted defensive front, and easily the scariest and most productive the Giants have faced thus far.

To put into perspective how much of a cake walk the Giants have had in pass protection, look no further than the sack numbers. In three games, the Bills defense has racked up six sacks. That is more than half the amount of the Cowboys, Falcons and Redskins, the other three teams the Giants faced this season; those three teams have combined for only 11. So to say the Giants offensive line will be facing their stiffest test of the season will be an understatement.

While those three teams do not possess scary pass rushes, some credit needs to be given to the Giants offensive line. The much maligned unit came together literally days before Week 1, as Tom Coughlin and the coaching staff really was unsure who the starting unit would be until after the final preseason game. They settled on the right one, as Ereck Flowers, Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg, Geoff Schwartz and Marshall Newhouse have performed as well as anyone could have expected.

Getting Flowers back into the lineup after missing Week 3 with an ankle injury will be a boost. They will need all the help they can get against what is a very talented Bills front that will undoubtedly be attacking right from the get go.

The battle in the trenches is more often than not the deciding factor in a game, and it will be in this one too. If Mario Williams and the Bills defensive front can penetrate the Giants offensive line to cause pressure in the backfield, it will give the Bills a huge edge. This is worth keeping an eye on because there are some people waiting for the other shoe to drop for the Giants offensive line, and if it was going to happen it would be in a game against a talent unit they looked overmatched against on paper.

Next: Where Are The Giants In Our NFL Power Rankings?

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