Lamar Jackson’s 5 Touchdowns Lead Baltimore Ravens (9-5) to Dominant Victory Over New York Giants (2-12)

The Baltimore Ravens came to New York as huge favorites, and they showed exactly why. The Ravens were clearly at a different level, dominating in all three phases of the game. They did their jobs early in the game, avoided injuries, and were able to rest their starters for most of the 4th quarter. With a huge game coming up this Saturday against Pittsburgh, Baltimore could not have scripted this game any better.

Action Jackson At His Best

After a frustrating week 13 loss, Lamar Jackson was eager to get back on the field. On the second drive of the game, Jackson set the tone with a huge stiff arm on a first down run.

The 2-time MVP was cooking with grease in week 15, chucking 5 passing touchdowns compared to just 4 incompletions. It was his 6th career game with 5+ passing TD’s, tied for 4th all-time.

Jackson also added another 65 rushing yards on the ground, just another MVP showing from one of the most gifted football players ever. Lamar needed all 65 of those yards to join an exclusive club of quarterbacks to rush for 6,000 yards in a career.

The Ravens offensive line did its job today, giving Jackson ample time and space to find open receivers again and again. Lamar also had all his weapons firing on offense, completing passes to 8 different receivers for 290 yards through the air. Justice Hill caught a TD, and Rashod Bateman had his first career 2-TD game. Rookie wideout Devontez Walker, a 4th round pick in this year's draft, caught his first NFL TD. It was also Walker’s first catch as a pro.

Money Mark Andrews Cashes in, Another Record in the Books

When Jackson is dialed in like he was at MetLife Stadium, you know his favorite target is going to get involved. Tight End Mark Andrew caught his Ravens’ record 48th TD, breaking the previous mark set by RB Jamal Lewis. The Jackson-Andrews duo are telepathic at this point. Mark runs a beautiful route to shake free from the defender, and Jackson throws a strike right to Andrews, before the tight end even looks for the ball.

Defense Continues to Show Improvement, But Penalties are Still Piling Up

Ever since the Ravens moved Kyle Hamilton back to Free Safety and paired him with Ar’Darius Washington, the defense has improved massively. First-year D-coordinator Zach Orr has to be given credit for this turnaround. It took a bit of time to figure out, but Orr has been able to simplify the defense and put the right players in the best positions. Outside of feeding star WR Malik Nabers, the Giants could do very little on offense. Along with the secondary showing big improvement, LB Malik Harrison played 80% of the snaps in the game alongside Roquan Smith. Harrison led the team with 8 tackles, and looks like a force in the middle. The Giants gained just 55 yards on the ground. Baltimore still has the best rushing defense in the league, and pass D moved up to 31st from dead last. The Flock should be more confident in the defense come playoff time, they have finally shown consistency and stopped the big plays from killing them. 

The glaring issue is Baltimore continues to lead the league in penalties by any metric. Stupid fouls ruined what could have been a perfect game for Baltimore. Both Giants TD drives were aided by huge penalties committed by Baltimore. Brandon Stephens continues to get turned around when the ball is in the air, he had 2 pass interference penalties near the end zone. Nnamdi Madubuike had a costly roughing the passer penalty which was totally unnecessary. The Ravens players have said before that the only team that can beat them is themselves, and penalties are a huge part of that.

Special Teams Spotlight - Tucker Nails 5 Kicks

The Ravens had their best game of the season on special teams. The group started the game with a 59-yard return by Justice Hill on the opening kickoff. Against the Eagles, WR Tylan Wallace fumbled a punt and nearly turned the ball over inside his own 20. Baltimore picked up CB Desmond King during the bye, and King thanked the Ravens by returning his first punt for 22 yards, showing a bit of dynamism and veteran calmness. Punter Jordan Stout placed both his kicks inside the 20, and K Justin Tucker was 5/5 on extra points. Tucker was happy to have an easy day of kicking, after licking his wounds during a long bye week. Hopefully he can continue with the forward momentum.

Difficult Stretch Continues as Playoffs are on the Horizon

Baltimore (9-5) will host the battle for the AFC North this Saturday as the Steelers (10-4) come to town on a short week. After losing to Pittsburgh earlier in the year, Baltimore will be looking for revenge. A Ravens win would create a virtual tie for the division crown with 2 games left, while a Steelers victory would almost seal the division and a home playoff game. Both teams then travel to play Wednesday on Christmas, another short week. The Ravens will travel to play the Houston Texans, while the Steelers face the Chiefs. The Ravens can’t look too far ahead, but they certainly will be happy with a win against the Giants. They should be well rested for the best rivalry in the NFL.