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Giants hope to clinch playoff spot on road

Dec 23, 2007 - 11:22 AM NY Giants (9-5) at Buffalo (7-7) Sunday 1:00 pm EST

ORCHARD PARK, New York (Ticker) -- Perhaps the best thing for the New York Giants is to get as far away from Giants Stadium as possible.

Unable to win at home, the Giants again took to clinch a playoff spot Sunday, when they head back on the road to face the Buffalo Bills.

But that might be a good thing for New York, which, for some reason, is a much better team on the road.

While the Giants have dropped three in a row at home, they have won six straight away from the not-so-friendly confines of Giants Stadium.

New York needs only a win to clinch a wild card spot. It can also get in with losses by the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints.

However, if the Giants can't get it done this week, their playoff hopes might rest on beating the unbeaten New England Patriots in the final game of the season.

New York missed an opportunity to clinch last week, suffering a 29-22 loss to the Redskins.

The Giants absorbed more than a defeat, as tight end Jeremy Shockey broke the fibula in his left leg and was placed on season-ending injured reserve earlier in the week.

It is a major blow, as Shockey is New York's third-leading receiver with 57 receptions for 619 yards and three touchdowns.

Rookie Kevin Boss, who has only five catches this season, will start in Shockey's place.

"Boss is going to have to come in and make some plays and step in and play big for us," Giants receiver Plaxico Burress said. "It is nothing against Boss. He is just going to have to grow up real fast."

The Bills were eliminated from the playoffs last week after suffering an 8-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns in blizzard-like conditions.

But Buffalo could find inspiration from tight end Kevin Everett, who will be introduced before the game. It will be Everett's first appearance in Buffalo since he suffered a life-threatening injury in the Bills' contest against the Denver Broncos on September 9.

Everett suffered a fracture and dislocation of his cervical spine and doctors feared that even he survived, he would be paralyzed. But Everett has made a remarkable recovery and has begun to walk again on his own.