Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants

Canton, Ohio 8/3/2014 @ 8 P.M. ET on NBC

The game within the game: Preseason games, especially ones in week zero, arguably consist of the same amount of competitive fire as regular season games. It’s just a different form of competition, as the battles are between teammates for roster spots, as opposed to just beating the opponent. You can try and downplay the meaning of a game like this, but for someone like Kelcy Quarles, an undrafted free agent from South Carolina, this is a platform to try and show the front office why you should make the team.

Here are a few of the battles and storylines worth following in tonight’s match-up, starting with the Giants

Giants not making the trip to Canton: DE Robert Ayers, LB Jon Beason, LT Will Beatty, WR Odell Beckham, TE Xavier Grimble, G Eric Herman …

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) August 2, 2014

… WR/KR Trindon Holliday, CB Bennett Jackson, CB Trumaine McBride, DT Mike Patterson, LB Spencer Paysinger, and RB David Wilson.

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) August 2, 2014

The Delayed Debut of Odell Beckham Jr: Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports that he is one of twelve Giants players not making the trip to Canton, due to a hamstring issue. From what I’ve read, it’s nothing major, and he looks to be fine going forward, but this is a major disappointment for all of us looking forward to his preseason debut. The highest Giants selection making their preseason debut is Weston Richburg, a #TeamSully guy from Colorado State who was selected in the second round.

Painter vs. Nassib: Eli Manning doesn’t need the preseason (to practice throwing interceptions HEY-OOOOOO!!!) at all at this point of his career, but Curtis Painter and Ryan Nassib are both maybe possibly in a battle for the back-up QB spot. I say “possibly maybe” because I’m not exactly following the back-up quarterback situation in New York, but from general assumptions I can make based on past performances, the chances are neither has separated from the other. Still, it’s easy to watch quarterbacks and talk about what they’re doing and draw our own conclusions, so we have that to look forward to.

Trench Warfare: In the past two drafts and offseasons, the Giants have overhauled nearly their entire two-deep on their defense front, as 2013 selections Johnathan Hankins and Damontre Moorelook to take another step forward in their second season. We probably won’t see much of either, nor veterans Jason Pierre-Paul or Mathias Kiwanuka, past maybe the third drive, but as has been proven around the league, depth on the defensive front is a very, very good thing to have, and the Giants are looking at a bunch of guys to see how much they have. Keep your eyes on the trenches (if you’re into that sort of thing) to see which young Giants linemen can find a way to crack the rotation or 53 man roster.

Buffalo

Sammy Watkins: Sammy Watkins, Sammy Watkins, Sammy Watkins. The Giants have a couple solid corners on their roster, so Watkins isn’t going to have scrubs guarding him in his professional debut (kind of, I guess we really should declare that these preseason games don’t mean much and it’s mostly football starved diehards, but it’s also the first time he’s in a game in a Bills uniform, so the debut line stands) which should be a good teaser before he is replaced and spends three quarters with a hat on, watching from the sidelines. It still should be exciting to see EJ Manuel pretend to go through progressions and throw up bombs to Watkins. That’s what I would do, at least.

Quit Frontin: A couple of cast-aside offensive line rookies take the field for Buffalo, and the (dynamic?) duo of Seantrel Henderson and Cyril Richardson are looking to possibly crack the offensive line starting unit, something that fellow rookie Cyrus Kouandjio may have already done. Watching the developing Buffalo offensive line against the developing New York defensive line should be the match-up of the evening, and in Buffalo it’s not just roster spots on the line, it’s starting spots. If I would have told you back in September of last year that Buffalo got Seantrel, Cyril, and Cyrus you would have asked how they got three first round picks, but here we are.

No Pettine, No Problem: Former defensive coordinator Mike Pettine was a huge addition to the Bills’ coaching staff last season, and the team had four pro bowlers to show for it, as well as some very innovative pass rushing schemes. Now, the Bills have Jim Schwartz calling their defensive plays and only three of the four pro bowlers on the roster, and while this game doesn’t mean much, it’ll be the first time to see how much different they’ll be schematically (let’s be honest, Doug Marrone is just on offense trying to find ways to not use CJ Spiller) and Schwartz could very well replicate their previous successes.

Prediction: Yeah, right.