Ben McAdoo calls every week “must-win,” Odell Beckham Jr. doesn’t think so. Whatever the case, the New York Giants need a victory Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
- New York Giants (2-3)
- Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
- NFL, Week 6, Sunday, Oct. 16, 1 p.m. on FOX
- Series History: NYG 1-4
- Last: NYG (A) 14, BAL 33
The New York Giants started 2-0, but have lost three straight since then. After beating the New Orleans Saints for their second win, the narrative was ‘the defense is legit, the offense is coming.
Fast forward to their latest L, an ugly game against the Green Bay Packers, and it’s become ‘the offense is horrible, the defense is horrible, and Eli has to go’.
However you feel, you aren’t wrong.
Big Blue has the personnel on offense to click, at some point, but they’ve been horrible of late. It’s affected the defense. For as good as they were to start the year, you can’t keep asking them to bail out a sputtering offense. They’re spending nearly two-thirds of the game on the field.
The Giants need a win this Sunday, point blank. Anything that can go wrong, has gone wrong in recent weeks. It extends beyond the field. First-year HC Ben McAdoo has stumbled dealing with the media, which is to be expected in New York. He opened a can of worms when he criticized Odell Beckham Jr., leading to a story that dominated headlines league-wide for weeks.
To top it all off, the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys look good again. It’ll be tough sledding ahead for the G-Men, but the Ravens offensive line is a match-up that may lead to a breakout performance for Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon.
Injury Report
| NAME | POSITION | INJURY | WED. | THU. | FRI. | GAME STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams, Jerell | TE | Ear | – | LP | FP | – |
| Apple, Eli | CB | Groin | DNP | DNP | DNP | Questionable |
| Berhe, Nat | S | Concussion | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| Donnell, Larry | TE | Concussion | LP | FP | FP | – |
| Harris, Dwayne | WR | Toe | LP | DNP | LP | Questionable |
| Jennings, Rashad | RB | Thumb | LP | LP | LP | Questionable |
| Kennard, Devon | LB | Concussion | DNP | LP | LP | Questionable |
| Newhouse, Marshall | T | Calf | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| Pierre-Paul, Jason | DE | Groin | DNP | LP | LP | Questionable |
| Rodgers-Cromartie, Dominique | CB | Groin | LP | LP | LP | Questionable |
| Thompson, Darian | FS | Foot | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| NAME | POSITION | INJURY | WED. | THU. | FRI. | GAME STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumervil, Elvis | OLB | Foot | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| Hester Sr., Devin | WR | Thigh | LP | DNP | DNP | doubtful |
| Lewis, Kendrick | S | Thigh | – | DNP | LP | questionable |
| McClellan, Albert | ILB | Calf | – | – | LP | questionable |
| Mosley, C.J. | ILB | Thigh | DNP | DNP | DNP | doubtful |
| Smith Sr., Steve | WR | Ankle | DNP | DNP | DNP | doubtful |
| Stanley, Ronnie | T | Foot | DNP | LP | LP | doubtful |
| Suggs, Terrell | OLB | NIR | DNP | FP | FP | – |
| Wagner, Rick | G/T | Thigh | DNP | DNP | LP | questionable |
| Wallace, Mike | WR | Chest | LP | FP | FP | questionable |
| Wright, Shareece | CB | Back | LP | FP | FP | questionable |
| Yanda, Marshal | G/T | Shoulder | DNP | DNP | DNP | doubtful |
Giants Keys To Victory
Establish The Run
The New York Giants are 2-0 with Rashad Jennings in the lineup. They’re 0-3 without him. In order to get the passing game going and allow the offensive line to gel, the Giants will have to be able to run the ball. It’s the age-old remedy for a stagnant offense; establish the run and all else falls into place.
Get To Joe Flacco
You’ve heard this all week, and it’s been true every time. The Giants have less sacks than any team in the league. They played Aaron Rodgers reasonably well last week, but couldn’t get every stop they needed. There were moments in the Green Bay game where Rodgers had time to shoot a discount double-check commercial in the pocket. The Raven’s O-line has given up 11 sacks in five games so if JPP and company can’t be successful, things are worse than you thought.
Limit Baltimore’s Options
The ageless Steve Smith Sr. won’t play Sunday. Even with him, the Ravens offense was so bad they fired their coordinator a quarter of the way through the season. The Giants run defense has been stout (save for Green Bay). If they can force the Ravens to abandon the run, they’ll limit Marty Morhinweg’s playbook and keep Flacco in third-and-long.
Prediction: New York Giants 23, Baltimore Ravens 17
The Ravens aren’t an NFL doormat, but they’re a nice break from the Vikings and Packers.
Big Blue should find a way to pull this one out. They need it more, they’re back home at MetLife for the first time since September 25 and they’re healthier.
This is the most important game of McAdoo’s young coaching career. Then again, that could very well be the case every week. Expect the Giants to make a statement against the Ravens in Jersey.