Ravens @ Giants
Final Score: Ravens 35, Giants 14
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
Sunday brought together a pair of teams trending in opposite directions, each with very different goals. On one side, the Baltimore Ravens were desperately seeking a victory as they continued their fight for an AFC North title and playoff berth. Meanwhile, the New York Giants entered the weekend looking for any shred of hope as they finish out another lost season, chasing the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft. Well, mission accomplished for both sides. The Ravens earned a lopsided victory, and the Giants remained a game up (or down) on the rest of the league in the race for the top pick. Let’s dig in.
Three Up
- Lamar Jackson – Jackson made a strong case for MVP, even though it may be too little, too late to win the award again.
- Rashod Bateman – This is the deep threat wide receiver the Ravens have been searching for.
- Malik Nabers – The Giants have a quarterback-proof star at wide receiver and should continue throwing the ball in his general direction, regardless of who is under center.
Three Down
- Tyrone Tracy Jr. – Limited in usage and in production, The Giants’ only rushing touchdown was vultured by Devin Singletary.
- Derrick Henry – The King went a third-consecutive game without finding the end zone and did not grab a single target in the second of his last three games.
- Giants Fans – Low-hanging fruit, but there’s not much to cheer for in the Meadowlands.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson: 21/25, 290 Yards, 5 TDs | 6 Rushes, 65 Yards, Fumble (LOST)
Lamar was near perfect as the Ravens cruised to victory over the beleaguered Giants. His only blemish came on the Ravens’ opening drive when he was a little bit loose with the ball on a first-down carry and ended up getting it punched out by a defender in the red zone. He looked pinpoint and accurate on short, intermediate, and deep throws, and made plays on the ground when he needed to. If Josh Allen didn’t exist, Lamar would likely have another MVP award wrapped up.
Running Back
Derrick Henry: 14 Carries, 67 Yards
The Ravens appeared to be showcasing Jackson in this one and didn’t ask Henry to do much on the ground. With two more games over the next 10 days (and short weeks in each of the next two), it might have been planned to let Henry have a light work week. Either way, it’s now been three weeks since he’s found the end zone. I anticipate the Ravens will pound the rock in next weekend’s AFC North slugfest against the Steelers.
Justice Hill: 2 Carries, 7 Yards | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 61 Yards, TD
Hill was exceptional out of the backfield on third downs and passing downs. He made a handful of good catches and was shifty with the ball in space. His touchdown catch came after he leaked out of the backfield into the flat, ignored by the defense. He caught the pass and ended up walking into the end zone untouched 27 yards later.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Zay Flowers: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 53 Yards
Flowers was consistent in the short and intermediate areas, making the catch with his hands and making people miss in space after the catch. He continues to be a favorite target for Lamar Jackson in clutch situations.
Rashod Bateman: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 80 Yards, 2 TDs
Bateman broke out on Sunday with a pair of long touchdown receptions. He’s been inconsistent throughout his career but seems to have finally found a reliable role as a field-stretching receiver, clearing space for Flowers and the tight ends underneath.
Mark Andrews: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 24 Yards, TD
Remember back in the first few weeks of the season when the average NFL fantasy manager was labeling Mark Andrews as ‘washed,’ or ‘cooked?’ Well, now he’s caught touchdowns in each of his last three games and has looked back to his old reliable self. His touchdown catch came in the first quarter, carving out space in the end zone against what appeared to be a zone defense. Andrews became the Ravens’ franchise leader in touchdowns with the reception, passing former running back Jamal Lewis with his 48th career score.
Devontez Walker: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 21 Yards, TD
Walker caught his first career touchdown on a seam route, finding space between the levels of the defense to pull in a score. Walker’s role may continue to grow as he develops, but for now, the rookie is still well buried in the Ravens’ depth chart.
Isiah Likely: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 47 Yards
Nelson Agholor: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 26 Yards
Tylan Wallace: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
New York Giants
Quarterback
Tommy DeVito: 10/13, 68 Yards | 1 Carry
DeVito’s day came to a close in the first half when he took a hard hit to the head from the Ravens’ defense. It wasn’t like he was moving the offense that effectively, his only successful drive on the day was spurred along by four Ravens penalties for more than 40 yards. He appeared to suffer a concussion and might not be available in the coming weeks. He also might not be the Giants’ best option under center, but they’ve made it pretty clear that doesn’t matter.
Tim Boyle: 12/24, 123 Yards, TD, INT | 1 Carry, -1 Yards
For what it’s worth, Boyle looked competent under center for the Giants as they batted through a garbage time in the second half. He peppered Nabers with a smattering of targets and moved the ball down the field on consecutive drives for the Big Blue. His touchdown pass to Nabers was placed perfectly despite a defender in his lap, leading Nabers to the pylon, where the rookie dragged his feet for a score. Boyle might be the best option for the Giants moving forward, but it might not matter as they continue to tank for the first overall pick.
Running Back
Tyrone Tracy Jr.: 10 Carries, 31 Yards | 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Tracy struggled against the Ravens’ pass funnel defense, gaining just 3.1 yards per carry on limited opportunities. Tracy was on the field for double the amount of offensive snaps that Singletary was but didn’t quite make the impact that his battery mate did. Tracy had one carry from the three-yard line but was stuffed, allowing Singletary to score just three plays later.
Devin Singletary: 8 Carries, 25 Yards, TD | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 16 Yards
The classic touchdown vulture, Singletary, was on the field for half the snaps of Tracy but ended up finding the end zone from two yards out after Tracy had played most of the drive to get the Giants into scoring position.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Malik Nabers: 14 Targets, 10 Receptions, 82 Yards, TD
Nabers proved to the world that he is quarterback-proof, that it doesn’t matter who is under center for the Giants, and he’ll shine regardless. His best catch of the week may have been the one he made on the streets of NYC earlier in the week that went viral (thrown by Shedeur Sanders). If it wasn’t that one, it was definitely his touchdown reception, where the rookie receiver tracked a lofted pass and pulled it in just inside the pylon for a score. He’s one of the lone bright spots for a Giants offense that is looking for playmakers and will be what the Giants build around in the future.
Wan’Dale Robinson: 9 Targets, 4 Receptions, 38 Yards
Robinson was targeted nine times but managed to pull in just four receptions, as most of his targets were not catchable. The slot receiver worked the short yardage and intermediate areas except for one play – a 25-yard pitch and catch from Boyle. He continues to be a PPR-only play as the Giants use him as an extended piece of the run game with short completions in the flat.
Daniel Bellinger: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 35 Yards
Bellinger took over as the top tight end option, pulling in all three of his targets for modest gains.
Darius Slayton: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 16 Yards