The Ravens took on the Giants as the season nearly finished with Baltimore still on the outside looking in. In the end, they were triumphant with a 27-13 win.
With immense pressure facing them, Baltimore came out early with heavy intensity to shut down the Giants. QB Jackson and the offense started strong with a 13-play, 82-yard drive that put them ahead early with a Jackson pass to WR Marquise Brown. The defense then immediately stopped the Giants offense that gave the ball back to Baltimore. The Ravens offensive dominance continued in the first as they managed another touchdown drive. A run by RB J.K. Dobbins put them ahead early, 14-0, as the first quarter came to a close.
The second quarter continued with New York still not finding an answer to Baltimore on both sides of the ball. Punting back to Baltimore, The Ravens took their time on offense, using up over eight minutes of game clock, and settled for a field goal after a failed 3rd and goal at the NYG 2. The Giants finally got on the board as QB Daniel Jones led the offense all the way to the BAL 13, but they were forced to kick a field goal with one minute left. Attempting another score, Jackson hurried the offense down the field and managed another field goal for the Ravens as they entered the half up 20-3.
New York started the second half with another failed drive as they put the ball in the hands of Baltimore yet again. After a failed third down attempt, the Ravens attempted a 51-yard kick but incurred a penalty that set them too far out. The Giants used that opportunity to kick a field goal to shrink the lead to 20-6. Baltimore responded yet again with a stellar drive that led to a touchdown pass to WR Dez Bryant to keep the Giants at a comfortable distance at the start of the fourth.
The fourth quarter saw the Giants gain some momentum and aim for an upset at M&T Bank Stadium. Jones led the offense on a 76-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown with a throw to WR Sterling Shepard to cut the lead to 27-13. Then, the Giants stopped Baltimore on their first set of downs, giving them a chance to further cut into the Ravens’ lead. However, New York failed to convert on a desperate 4th and 19 to give the ball back to Baltimore. A costly fumble by Jackson with two minutes left gave the Giants just enough time to pull off a miracle. The Ravens defense made a tremendous stop on a 4th and 7 by New York to secure the 27-13 victory for the team.
The Ravens currently sit at 10-5 with the last Wild Card spot due to the losses of the Browns and Colts, and the Dolphins being just ahead of Baltimore. With just one week left, Baltimore must win next week against the Bengals to secure a trip to the postseason. Fans will surely be on the edge of their seats waiting to see if they’ll make it happen this year.
Featured Image courtesy of Karen Riley via Flickr Creative Commons