How the Ravens Can Steer Clear of a Letdown Against the Giants
The Baltimore Ravens enjoyed a much-needed week off after grinding through the first 13 weeks of the season to sit at 8-5 and second place in the AFC North Division heading into their bye last week. The Ravens are now preparing for a critical stretch of games, with three matchups in 11 days against the Steelers and Texans. However, this important run starts with a trip to the Meadowlands to face the struggling New York Giants, who sit at 2-11 and were the first team eliminated from playoff contention on Thanksgiving Day against the Cowboys. The Ravens opened as 15-point favorites against the Giants, the largest point spread of the NFL season, according to ESPNBet. However, there are concerns about the Ravens' propensity for letdown performances against lesser opponents like the Giants, who have nothing to lose at this point in the season, potentially leading to an unexpected upset. If the Ravens want to avoid such an upset and continue head coach John Harbaugh’s success coming off a bye, holding the second-best record of 13-3 since 2008, they must address certain areas of their game to prevent a letdown this week.
To start, it will be paramount for the Ravens' offense to get off to a fast start on the road, helping to avoid giving the Giants any hope of sticking around on Sunday afternoon. Earlier in the season, the Ravens were one of the best teams at scoring points early in games, but their offense has struggled with inconsistencies in the first quarter in recent weeks. However, in their last game against the Eagles, the Ravens jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead in the opening quarter before struggling to maintain success for the rest of the game. To take advantage of an injury-depleted Giants defense, which has lost key players such as lineman Dexter Lawrence, who suffered a likely season-ending dislocated elbow and leads the Giants with nine sacks, the Ravens should focus on establishing their dynamic run game early and often. Led by running back Derrick Henry, who ranks second in the NFL with 1,407 rushing yards, trailing only Eagles star Saquon Barkley, they can exploit the Giants' lackluster run defense, which ranks 29th in the league, giving up 141.7 rushing yards per game.
The Ravens' defense has faced a ton of adversity this season, with players being benched due to poor performance and a significant drop from their top-five defensive ranking under former coordinator Mike Macdonald last year. However, despite the struggles, the defense seems to have turned a corner over the past three weeks, heading into Sunday’s game against New York. While they still hold the league's worst pass defense, giving up 264.9 yards per game entering Week 15, they have shown improvement, allowing the second-fewest passing yards in the last three games at 165.0 yards per game. To continue their defensive progress, the Ravens will need to limit a struggling Giants offense that ranks fifth-worst in passing and 15th in rushing. The Ravens will face fifth-year quarterback Drew Lock, who made his second start of the season last week against the Saints after stepping in for backup Tommy DeVito, who was injured a few weeks ago after replacing former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. For the Ravens' defense to maintain their recent success, they will need to contain rookie receiver Malik Nabers, who leads the team with 819 receiving yards, and rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., the team's leading rusher, to prevent standout performances. If they can do that, the Ravens will be well-positioned to avoid an upset and secure a victory before their highly anticipated rematch against the Steelers in Week 16.