Giants' grades vs. Ravens: Outclassed in every aspect
Giants head coach Brian Daboll looks on from the sidelines during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Mike Stobe
OFFENSE: D
On fourth-and-inches at the Ravens’ 30 early in the second quarter of a 7-0 game the Giants tried a quarterback sneak with Tommy DeVito and were stuffed. That’s the best illustration of their go-nowhere unit for the last few weeks and in this game in particular. Considering he arrived on the team just a few weeks ago and hadn’t been practicing at all with the starters Tim Boyle played pretty well (12-for-24, 123 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int) and may have been the most settling presence the Giants have had at quarterback this season, certainly since Daniel Jones was benched. Malik Nabers was a bright spot with 10 catches for 82 yards and a score while drawing a pair of key pass interference penalties. The Giants had 19 first downs and almost half of them (8) were on Ravens penalties not their own doing.
DEFENSE: F
It’s hard to remember but there was a point when the Giants were getting the best of Lamar Jackson. Adoree’ Jackson forced him to fumble at the end of an early long run and Brian Burns recorded a sack. But those were short-lived moments and Jackson wound up dominating the game with five TD passes, 290 passing yards and 65 rushing yards. The Giants did somewhat contain Derrick Henry at least (67 rushing yards) but the wide open receivers prancing through the second-string secondary made that achievement moot.
SPECIAL TEAMS: F
When the game opens with a 59-yard kickoff return against you it’s hard to recover. The Giants didn’t and a short punt by Jamie Gillen combined with a 23-yard return by Desmond King II later in the first quarter set up the Ravens’ first touchdown. Even when the Giants did something positive – Ihmir Smith-Marsette had a decent kickoff return – it was negated by a penalty. The one indisputable good play was Graham Gano’s kickoff that bounced in the “landing zone” before going through the end zone for a touchback, forcing the Ravens to start a late second-quarter touchdown drive from their own 20 rather than their 30.
COACHING: F
Brian Daboll went ballistic after that failed QB sneak early in the second quarter but he needs to know his team can’t go toe-to-toe and win in situations like that. Don’t get mad, find a better way to do it. Later on he did and converted a fourth-and-2 rolling DeVito out for a short pass to Wan’Dale Robinson. The defense was without four of its five starters in the secondary but the disarray back there was inexcusable for a middle school program nevermind an NFL roster. Special teams coaching continues to be a glaring disappointment.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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