The last time Tyrod Taylor played in Buffalo, he emerged as the long-awaited hero.
He will return as both a longtime veteran and a long shot.
Increasingly it appears as if Taylor will be behind center for Sunday night’s Giants game against the Bills, which would mark his first snaps at what is now called Highmark Stadium since Taylor was leading the Bills to their first playoff appearance in 17 years.
Quarterback Daniel Jones did not practice again Thursday with a neck injury that was sustained Sunday.
Head coach Brian Daboll did not rule out Jones, but the odds are against the starter being cleared to play in time.
If Jones cannot go, Taylor would play in his first game in Buffalo since 2017, when he was in his third and what would be his last season as the Bills’ starter.
Originally a sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2011, Taylor had caught on in Buffalo and won a few quarterback competitions to emerge as a mostly solid, dual-threat starter.
His final season in Buffalo would be the most dramatic.
Taylor led the Bills to a 5-2 start, lost his starting job amid a long skid — Nathan Peterman stepped in and infamously threw five interceptions in the first half of his first game — and Taylor reclaimed the gig in time to help the Bills win two of their final three games.
The last regular-season game, a win in Miami, combined with a Bengals win over the Ravens clinched a postseason spot and Taylor’s legacy in Buffalo: He brought the Bills to their first playoff appearance since 1999.
They lost to the Jaguars in the wild-card round.
“I got mad love for Buffalo. Got great memories there,” Taylor said after practice Thursday. “Was able to I guess change the culture. … They had some down years in the organization, and I was able to help shift that along with a number of other guys that helped that season.”
Six years and four teams later, Taylor is a 34-year-old backup who is trying to take advantage of any opportunity that arises.
If Jones sits, it would be Taylor — who once helped a woebegone franchise return to relevance — who is asked to perform a different kind of miracle.
And it might qualify as a miracle.
Buffalo has a high-powered offense and a defense that leads the NFL in sacks (21) — which will face off with a crumbling Giants offense and offensive line that has allowed the most sacks (30).
Six Giants offensive linemen were listed on the injury report Thursday as either limited participants in practice or were unable to practice at all.
Taylor might have to rely on his legs to escape collapsing pockets more than usual.
“Tyrod is a veteran player. He controls the huddle,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “I think he does a great job of, obviously, getting the ball out. … He can make plays outside the pocket as well. He’s done that his whole career.”
Taylor has not won a starting job since his Buffalo days and has not started a game at all since 2021, when he saw time with the Texans while Deshaun Watson was away from the team facing sexual misconduct and harassment allegations.
Taylor won two of his six starts, threw for five touchdowns and five interceptions and then became Jones’ backup last season.
Keeping Jones upright has been an uphill battle for the Giants, and a backup as veteran and mobile as Taylor could prove helpful.
Now in his 13th NFL season, Taylor still is trying to show he can lead a team.
“It’s about proving yourself every time you get a chance,” Taylor said. “Every time you get an opportunity, make sure you’re making the most of it. I think [in my career] I’ve been able to do that.”
If he wants to keep the Giants in the game against a team that is, on paper at least, far superior, Taylor would need some magic.
But he faced longer odds in his career, which the environment on Sunday will remind him.
“I’m not looking for a reaction [from the fans] or anything,” Taylor said. “It’s not about who we’re playing. It’s about what we’re doing.”