An inside look at Sunday’s Giants-Ravens Week 15 matchup at MetLife Stadium:
Marquee matchup
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson vs. all 11 Giants on defense
Is this a bit snarky?
Maybe, but it is too late in a historically bad season to get into serious analytic breakdowns.
Jackson is an MVP candidate once again, finishing up what might be his finest season. His passer rating is a career-high and league-leading 116.3.
He is seventh in passing yards (3,290), second in touchdown passes (29), first in touchdown percentage (7.7), has thrown just three interceptions and is first in the league among quarterbacks with 678 rushing yards.
The Giants long for the day when Brian Daboll can talk about one of their quarterbacks the way he gushes about Jackson.
“This guy’s one of the best players, not just best quarterbacks, best players in the National Football League,’’ Daboll said. “He’s dynamic in every facet of the game. If he’s running it, then he’s not throwing it. If he’s throwing, he’s not running. He can do it all.’’
The depleted, beaten-up Giants defense could be overwhelmed.
Paul’s pick
This step-up in weight class is likely to be unsightly for the Giants.
They have hemorrhaged starters on defense, and, in case you haven’t noticed, their offense ain’t exactly top-notch.
The Ravens are well-rested coming off their bye and in a battle for AFC playoff seeding.
Here’s a suggestion: The Giants need to secure the air space over the stadium to prevent a message-toting plane from trying another fly-by.
Ravens 31, Giants 10
4 DOWNS
Passing through: There is no doubt Malik Nabers’ rookie season has been compromised by the unrest at quarterback.
Daniel Jones, then Tommy DeVito, then Drew Lock, now back to DeVito. For a 21-year old wide receiver, all this change hampers the growth process.
Nabers admits “it takes a really long time’’ to have “a great connection’’ with a quarterback.
He has not come close to having enough reps with DeVito for either of them to feel comfortable knowing what the other is thinking.
“Especially when the change occurs in a week, you don’t have that much time,’’ Nabers said. “We both know the playbook, so I don’t feel like it’s hard at all. But just another hill you’ve got to climb over.’’
Bulldozer alert: The first game of Micah McFadden’s NFL career came in the 2022 season opener at Tennessee. The 6-foot-2, 232-pound inside linebacker looked across the line of scrimmage and could not believe what Derrick Henry looked like.
“I just remember thinking, he’s tall in the backfield, he’s pretty much taller than any O-lineman,’’ McFadden said.
McFadden had a career-high five tackles for loss last week, as a makeshift defensive front put the clamps on Alvin Kamara.
Henry, with 1,407 rushing yards and that hulking 6-3, 247-pound frame, is a different deal.
“Yeah, I mean I think the first thing is just the size,’’ defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said. “He’s an outside linebacker playing running back.’’
Happy anniversary: This past Wednesday was one year to the day — Dec. 11, 2023 — that DeVito experienced his finest moment in his nascent NFL career.
He completed 17 of 21 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown pass to Isaiah Hodgins as the Giants beat the Packers, 24-22, at home on “Monday Night Football.”
The victory — DeVito’s third straight as the starter — and performance was so improbable that he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Week.
He received a notification reminder on his phone 365 days later.
“I saw a picture of me and Wan’Dale [Robinson] that popped up on my phone,’’ DeVito said.
The Packers led 22-21 before DeVito led his team on a 57-yard drive culminated with Randy Bullock’s game-winning field goal as time expired.
“Awesome atmosphere,’’ DeVito recalled. “It was just a lot of fun.’’
Making a point: A 16-point underdog playing at home?
This does not happen often. These are the most points the Giants are getting in a home game in however long point spreads have been tabulated.
It is the most lopsided spread for a home team in the NFL since at least 1966, when the Giants were a 14.5-point underdog to the Cardinals.
The Giants covered that spread in a 20-17 loss at Yankee Stadium. They finished 1-12-1 that season. What goes around comes around.
