Giants vs. Ravens Week 6 report card
OFFENSE: B
It was a slog most of the afternoon, with the Ravens effectively bottling up Saquon Barkley and the Giants struggling to get anything consistent going. They had scored only 10 points as of midway through the fourth quarter. Then, boom: Daniel Jones went 5-for-5 to lead an efficient drive that got the Giants within 20-17, and Barkley started to run more effectively. He would have had two touchdowns if not for a strategic flop in the final two minutes. Jones finished 19-for-27 for 173 yards and two TDs, and Barkley rushed 22 times for 83 yards and the game-winning TD.
DEFENSE: B
There was no good reason to allow backup running back Kenyan Drake to rush for 119 yards on 10 carries. On the other hand, it is difficult to fault the Giants for allowing Lamar Jackson to rush for 77 yards and throw for another 210. The former NFL MVP is a nightmare for any defense. But the Giants made two massive plays in the final minutes that turned the game around — an interception by Julian Love that set up the game-winning score and a sack and forced fumble by Kayvon Thibodeaux that essentially sealed the deal.
SPECIAL TEAMS: B
Gary Brightwell got to return only one of the Ravens’ kickoffs, but he made the most of it, running back the ball 47 yards to the Giants’ 47-yard line. The good field position led to the Giants’ first touchdown. Graham Gano made the only field goal he attempted, a 34-yarder. Jamie Gillan punted four times, putting two inside the 20-yard line, and launched a 60-yard cannon shot.
COACHING: B
It took a while for the offense to get Barkley going, and the defense never really did stop the running game that starred Drake and Jackson. But defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s unit forced two game-turning turnovers against Martindale’s former team, and the cultural change forged by coach Brian Daboll again delivered a fourth-quarter comeback against all odds. The Giants are finding ways to win the sorts of games they consistently have lost in recent seasons.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
