Baltimore vs. New York
Ravens Handle Giants With Relative Ease and Now Control Their Own Playoff Destiny After Dolphins and Browns Losses
The Baltimore Ravens jumped out to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter over the New York Giants and controlled the game the rest of the way for a 27-13 victory, and they received a little luck along the way.
The Miami Dolphins lost a wild game in Las Vegas on Saturday night, and the Cleveland Browns were shocked by the New York Jets today, leaving all three with 10-5 records but with the Ravens owning the tiebreaker over the Browns. Indianapolis is also 10-5, and the Ravens beat them head-to-head, so with one more week to play, the Ravens are now in the second wild card spot in the AFC and simply need a win at Cincinnati in Week 17 to reach the postseason for the third-consecutive season. The Ravens division title streak is over at two, however, as Pittsburgh did clinch the AFC North thanks to their win over the Colts.
Baltimore looked down and out four weeks ago, coming off a three-game losing streak and a COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined a large chunk of the team, including quarterback Lamar Jackson. Now, after four-straight wins, things are looking up for the Ravens, even though this win over the Giants was likely their final game at M&T Bank Stadium this season, as they will most likely need to win on the road throughout the playoffs. But perhaps a change of scenery will help, since Baltimore is 0-2 at home in the playoffs over the past two seasons.
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"I was watching the scoreboard probably the whole game [like], "Oh, I'm just checking on it.' But I checked my phone [after the game] after people were talking about it," tight end Mark Andrews said in the locker room following the game. "Obviously, that's good for us, and hopefully, we take advantage of that."
Back to this one, the Ravens (10-5) got off to a fast start against a losing team for the second-straight week, scoring on their first two possessions, and the Giants (5-10) were never able to mount a counterpunch when it counted.
"It was important [to set the tone on the first drive]. I know they have a good defense. For us to be able to take the ball down the field, really what it was was execution, just very good execution," head coach John Harbaugh said in his postgame news conference. "Gus [Edwards] and J.K. [Dobbins] rank the ball exceptionally well. Lamar ran the ball exceptionally well. It was a really good performance by our run offense."
Despite the Giants having one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL, Baltimore eclipsed the 100-yard mark as a team for the 38th-straight game and put up 249 total. Edwards led the way with 85 yards, and Jackson wasn't far behind with 80 while Dobbins added 77 and a touchdown. In the air, Jackson was 17-26 for 183 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Mark Andrews was the leading receiver with six catches for 76 yards, Marquise Brown caught a touchdown pass, and Dez Bryant scored on his only reception for the second-straight week.
"We just have to keep clicking and…keep the laser sharp focus we have going right now and just focus on the task at hand," Lamar Jackson told reporters after the game. "We have teams in our way now, and that's Cincinnati. That's all we can focus on right now."
The Ravens' defense pressured the Giants all day despite the return of quarterback Daniel Jones after he missed two of the last three games with hamstring and ankle injuries. Jones was constantly on the run and was sacked six times, including two from linebacker Chris Board.
"Very rarely do you see the guys who excel on special teams the first couple of years and grow into that not become really good defensive players," Harbaugh said of Board. "He's making tackles; he's covering well; I think he's really making a name for himself."
GAME RECAP
The Ravens took control from the kickoff, executing a 13-play drive that featured nine runs and ended with a Jackson touchdown pass to Marquise Brown from six-yards out to make it 7-0 Baltimore on a drive that ate up 8:12 of game clock.
After a three-and-out for New York, the Ravens were at it again, with another drive that left 11 seconds in the first quarter on the clock when it was all said and done after Dobbins' two-yard touchdown run. After the opening quarter, the Ravens held the ball for over 13 of the first 15 minutes of the game and led 14-0.
The Giants got one first down on their next possession but still punted. This time, Baltimore ate up another 8:10 of game clock, but the drive ended two yards short of the end zone; they had to settle for a Justin Tucker field goal from 20 yards out to make it 17-0. The teams then traded field goals to make it 20-3 in favor of Baltimore at halftime.
The only scoring in the third quarter was a 42-yard field goal by Giants place kicker Graham Gano, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, Jackson connected with Bryant for an eight-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 27-6. The Giants scored a late passing touchdown, but that was all they could muster, leading to the 27-13 final score.
UP NEXT
The Ravens are at Cincinnati next week to take on a Bengals team that's missing rookie quarterback Joe Burrow; Baltimore also easily handled the Bengals in a 27-3 rout when they met in Week 5 at M&T Bank Stadium.
As far as the other wild card contenders: Kansas City has clinched home field advantage in the playoffs and the bye in the opening round. Miami plays at Buffalo, and Pittsburgh is at Cleveland. Both the Bills and Steelers have clinched their divisions but are playing for seeding. Indianapolis and Tennessee are both tied at 10-5, but the Titans will win the division if they beat Houston on Sunday. The Colts host Jacksonville, who is on a 14-game losing streak but owns a win over Indianapolis back in Week 1.
If Miami, Cleveland, Baltimore, Tennessee, and Indianapolis all win, the Ravens would be the No. 6 seed and play Pittsburgh in the first round. The Dolphins would be the No. 5 seed with Cleveland getting the final wild card spot and the Colts being on the outside looking in. Regardless of what happens, a 10-win team in the AFC will not make the playoffs this year.
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