WEEK IN REVIEW
The Giants came up short against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon 27-13, which is a score that makes the game seem closer than it really was. The Giants were dominated on both sides of the ball. The Ravens were able to control the game with their dynamic rushing attack, totaling 249 yards on 40 attempts from Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Devin Duvernay compared to the Giants’ 12 for 54 yards. The disparity in rushing success resulted in Baltimore controlling the ball for over ten minutes more than New York, limiting the Giants’ opportunities to mount a comeback.
On defense, the Ravens were just as oppressive as they were on offense. They confused Daniel Jones and held him to only 252 yards on 41 attempts. Jones was sacked six times and hit 11 times. He was running for his life all day. The Ravens defense was also able to deflect seven of Jones’ passes through a combined effort of pass rush at the line of scrimmage and tight coverage in the secondary. The Giants’ lack of offensive talent was on full display in this game. Without any single game-changing player on their offense, they struggle to score against strong defenses like Baltimore’s.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Despite the Giants’ loss to the Ravens, they are still alive in the race for the NFC (L)East with their 5-10 record. They will have an opportunity to be the division champions with a mere 6 wins on the year. Prior to this season, only two other teams have made the playoffs with a losing record. The 2010 Seattle Seahawks won the NFC West with a 7-9 record in a down year for their division and the 2014 Carolina Panthers won the NFC South at 7-8-1. Both teams won their Wild Card Round playoff games before eventually meeting defeat in the Divisional Round. If the Giants are able to win the division, they will be the first team in NFL history to do so with a record of 6-10.
If the Giants are able to pull off the win this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, they will need some assistance from their rivals in Philadelphia, who will be hosting the Washington Football Team. If Washington wins this game, they will win the division at 7-9, but if Philadelphia is able to pull off the upset, the winner of the Giants-Cowboys game will be representing the division in the playoffs. With New York scheduled to take on Dallas at 1:00pm and the Washington-Philadelphia matchup flexed to Sunday night, the winner of the early game will have an evening full of anticipation.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The Giants opened this week as 2.5-point home underdogs against the Dallas Cowboys. This spread represents the momentum each team has coming into the game. New York has failed to find victory in each of their last three games, while Dallas is riding a three-game winning streak. Dallas has found a rhythm over the past few weeks and their offense is beginning to resemble the productivity they saw early in the season before Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury. The Giants defense will need to have one of their best performances of the year to contain this explosive offense.
The Dallas Cowboys feature one of the most dynamic groups of wide receivers in the NFL, and after some missed time due to injury, quarterback Andy Dalton is developing substantial chemistry with his pass-catchers. Amari Cooper, Michael Gallop, and CeeDee Lamb could all take it to the house at any time. Together, they combined for 326 yards from scrimmage and 4 touchdowns last week against Philadelphia. Unfortunately for the Giants, James Bradberry can’t cover all three of them at the same time. Philadelphia was able to contain the Cowboys’ offense early in the game thanks to a dominant performance by Fletcher Cox prior to him leaving the game with an injury. If the Giants can replicate that strength with their own defensive line, they will have a chance to limit Dallas’ production.
