Stats That Told The Story in the New York Giants' 35-14 Loss to Baltimore Ravens

The Giants had a tough time hanging around with a high-powered Ravens offense and these important stats paved the way for their latest lopsided loss.

East Rutherford, NJ -- December 15, 2024 -- The Ravens defense after stopping Tommy DeVito of the Giants of getting a first down on a fourth down play in the first half. The Baltimore Ravens came to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Giants. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With each passing week in the New York Giants’ miserable 2024 season, those watching the games both inside MetLife Stadium and afar are probably asking themselves this one question in unknown unison: Can it get any worse? 

Throughout the team’s historic–more like historically forgettable–campaign, the answer without failure has been yes it can, and it certainly remained so in Week 15 as the Giants looked dreadful on offense, landed more injuries and lost another game in blowout fashion to the visiting Baltimore Ravens, 35-14. 

The lopsided defeat to one of the NFL’s juggernaut teams marked the Giants’ ninth straight loss since Week 5 when they earned their last win against the Seattle Seahawks and tied the franchise record for consecutive losses in a season which they’ve accomplished five times since 1976 and last did in the 2019 season. 

The Giants are also just one final homestand away from finishing their first-ever season with an 0-9 record at home that is added to some of the worst offensive statistics their fanbase has ever witnessed, including an average of 14.9 points per game and seven total touchdowns in that span. 

Points have been at a premium all season long, and that didn’t change as the Giants could only muster up two touchdowns on 236 total yards offensively against the Ravens’ lockdown secondary. 

It’s hard to argue that scoring was their biggest issue though, as New York could barely stay afloat for the entire 60 minutes as injuries continued to devastate both sides of the line. The Giants lost quarterback Tommy DeVito, who started in place of the injured Drew Lock, to a concussion late in the second quarter and had to roll with newly signed arm Tim Boyle for the remaining 30 minutes.

Boyle did what he could behind a makeshift offensive line, going 12 of 24 for 123 yards, one touchdown and an interception, but the Giants continued to lose more bodies on the defensive end and barely hobbled out alive with a 2-12 record that is back in contention for the No. 1 overall pick prior to Monday night’s contests. 

It was another afternoon of plane sightings with crystal clear messaging for Giants ownership and a sunken fanbase bedazzled with paper bags over their heads that brought flashbacks to the dog days of the organization in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. The sadder part might be the fact they still have three games, including one at home, left to go before it all can get put to rest ahead of a momentous offseason. 

Before that happens, the Giants and their fans are left to ponder the big question one more time. How much worse it gets remains to be seen, but here are the stats and plays that made the nightmare season continue against the Baltimore Ravens.

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East Rutherford, NJ -- December 15, 2024 -- Lamar Jackson and Rashod Bateman of the Ravens after Bateman scored a TD in the first half. The Baltimore Ravens came to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Giants. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a game that handed the Baltimore Ravens an advantage of over two touchdowns in the sportsbooks, the expectation was for the road team to come out swinging against the Giants' battered defense, and they certainly did from the opening kick.  

The Ravens posted their best offensive performance in the last four weeks in East Rutherford, scoring 35 points from five passing touchdowns by quarterback Lamar Jackson. This was their sixth game with at least 35 points scored and their first since Week 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals.  

After missing out on their first drive due to a rare forced fumble by Giants cornerback Adoree Jackson, the Ravens got the party started on their ensuing third possession. Jackson guided his huddle 33 yards in six plays after starting inside New York territory and cashed in on third-and-goal from the Giants' 13 with a quick shot to tight end Mark Andrews for a touchdown, taking a 7-0 lead.  

Baltimore followed it up by recovering the ball after the Giants turned it over on downs on their side of the field and took it 70 yards in five plays, with the gifted hands of wide receiver Rashod Bateman hauling it in on the last play for 49 yards and the score to put the Ravens up 14-0 in a flash.  

However, the Ravens weren’t done entertaining the MetLife crowd in the first 30 minutes. They mustered an even better nine-play, 80-yard drive behind Jackson’s arm and legs, as he scrambled for 21 of those yards and capped it off with a second touchdown pass of 20 yards to Bateman, who earned his first-ever game with two scores under his belt.  

The game got out of hand after two more aerial connections between Jackson, running back Justice Hill, and wide receiver Devontez Walker. The Giants were left in a familiar situation of playing massively from behind and just trying to show progress by eating away at the deficit.

Jackson was pulled in the fourth quarter for backup Josh Johnson, signifying a solid day for the offense, which got to rest early for the postseason run ahead.  

Baltimore finished the day with 290 yards and five touchdowns, allowing Jackson to be sacked just twice for a combined loss of 10 yards. It was his best outing since the aforementioned Bengals game when he threw for the same number of yards and punched in four touchdowns to lead the Ravens to a much closer win.

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Dec 15, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) scores a touchdown reception during the second half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Short of the offensive line that has fallen apart amid injuries, the Giants still have a major problem with their special teams unit, which was abysmal again in allowing big returns to the Baltimore Ravens. 

In fact, the Giants allowed a combined 81 yards on the two kickoffs that didn't bounce into the end zone for the touchback, and it helped set the Ravens' offense up nicely on two of their nine possessions. 

The first instance came on the opening kickoff of the contest after the Giants won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half. Graham Gano kicked the ball to the Baltimore 4 inside the restricted area, and there was enough space for running back Justice Hill to take off with the return, which became significant. 

Hill broke a few tackles and found some open space to run all the way back to the Giants’ 37-yard line before he was pushed out of bounds by the kicker to avoid a disastrous score on the first play from scrimmage. It was marked as a 59-yard play that set the Ravens' offense up in excellent field position, but fortunately for New York, it was spoiled by Lamar Jackson’s fumble a few snaps later. 

The second instance occurred in the fourth quarter, after the Giants had scored their second touchdown with Malik Nabers and were looking to pin the Ravens deep to help preserve time for one extra possession. Returner Rasheen Ali took it back 34 yards to the Baltimore 37-yard line, but it was called back 10 yards due to a holding penalty, reducing it to a 22-yard return. 

Although it wasn’t from a kickoff, the Giants also succumbed to a 22-yard punt return by Desmon King, who set the Ravens up in positive territory on their third drive of the first half. That return bore fruit, as the Ravens turned King’s efforts into the opening touchdown by Mark Andrews five plays later for an early advantage on the scoreboard. 

It’s been another awful season for the Giants' special teams department despite the change at the helm to coordinator Michael Ghobrial, who came with a good reputation from his time with the team across the street, the New York Jets. Every miscue has been crossed off their bingo cards, from touchdown returns to missed field goals, and in some games, it has cost the team close wins. 

The group has had its highlights, from the blocked kick and touchdown return in Seattle to the near score by return man Ihmir Smith-Marsette last Sunday against New Orleans, but in the end, there is still work to be done. The Giants cannot function if they don’t have a sound special teams unit that helps the offense and protects the defense, as evidenced by the latest mistakes against Baltimore.

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East Rutherford, NJ -- December 15, 2024 -- Michael Pierce of the Ravens hits Tommy DeVito of the Giants taking a late hit penalty in the first half. The Baltimore Ravens came to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Giants. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite their change at the quarterback position midway through the contest, the Giants simply needed help gaining any sort of offensive momentum to keep it close with the Baltimore Ravens' high-powered huddle. 

This was especially the case in the first half of Sunday’s matchup when the Giants started off with a couple of three-and-out offensive drives that sunk them into a quick 14-0 hole. They tried to get some passing work in with Tommy DeVito early, but he could only make one connection to Malik Nabers in six combined plays, forcing two punts. 

Yet, as the game progressed, making timely plays in late-down situations became more of an issue. The Giants went 2-12 on their third-down conversion attempts, their second-highest attempts in the last month, but their lowest success rate in that same span. 

Most of those attempts came on passing plays, and the major problem was a lack of comfortable short-yardage situations in which DeVito tends to thrive. Whether due to penalties or poor play calling on first and second down, the Giants found themselves in some third-and-long distances that made it harder to convert the important reps that would keep them moving toward the end zone. 

Even when they got down into Ravens territory or on the cusp of the end zone, the Giants ran into a brick wall with the Ravens’ stout secondary, forcing them into fourth-down gambles, of which they only converted three of their five total, including some in Graham Gano’s field-goal kicking range. 

It’s no surprise that the Giants have been sitting in the bottom third of the NFL in third-down efficiency. Per Pro Football Reference, they entered Sunday’s matchup with the 23rd-ranked unit, converting about 36 percent of their attempts while averaging 57 percent on fourth-down tries. 

That failure has translated into their decisions inside the red zone and has greatly impacted their scoring numbers. The Giants were dead last in scoring rate inside the 20-yard line entering Week 15, holding one of the worst scoring averages in their history at 14.9 points per contest. 

The only two third-down conversions on the day went to Darius Slayton, who converted a 16-yard pass in the first quarter to give the Giants their first taste of a first down and Ravens territory, and Wan’Dale Robinson, who caught a 30-yard bomb on third-and-10 from Tim Boyle in the third frame. 

All of the other Giants first downs, totaling eight, came from Baltimore penalties.

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Dec 15, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) runs against the New York Giants during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

If there was one positive development from the Giants' loss to Baltimore, it was that they found a way to stifle the run game led by Derrick Henry.

Henry, who came into the game with 1,407 yards and 13 touchdowns and is chasing a career-high from 2020, has been one of the league’s most electric ball carriers and has competed for the top rusher status throughout the season. He boasted six games of 100+ yards with seven touchdowns in his first rodeo with Baltimore and had a solid chance to add to that against New York.

However, despite their banged-up defensive interior and lackluster numbers against the run, the Giants found success keeping Henry quiet. The 30-year-old finished the game with 14 carries for 67 yards and an average haul of 4.8 yards, marking his lowest outing since Week 11 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Henry was limited to short-yardage gashes, and a few didn’t make it far past the line of scrimmage or behind it. He finished with a 4.8 average yards per carry to lead the Ravens' backfield, which finished with 170 yards on the ground, accompanied by the work of Lamar Jackson, who had six carries for 65 yards.

For the second straight game, the Giants came in focused on slowing down the run game they’ve struggled to stop all season long because of Henry’s size and strength. At times, he did drag a few defenders with him, but New York delivered crisp tackling on many of his rushes to keep him within their initial grasp.

After allowing 150+ rushing yards to five of their last eight opponents, the Giants have kept the last two enemies to 262 combined, which, for their sake, is an improvement. Last week, they held Alvin Kamara and the Saints to 92 yards total, marking their first sub-100-yard game since Week 4 against Dallas.

Injuries have devastated their defensive interior, including the losses of Dexter Lawrence and Bobby Okereke, one of the team’s leading tacklers. Still, the reserves have stepped up and kept their fundamentals sharp. 

The Giants' defense finished with three tackles for loss and two double-digit tacklers, boosted by the efforts on the ground, including safety Dane Belton with 15 tackles to lead the team and Micah McFadden, who notched 11.

The only problem was that the Giants didn’t come prepared to stop Baltimore’s deep-threat passing game, which burned them for almost 300 yards and multiple touchdowns, two of which went to Rashad Bateman on long shots by Jackson in the first half.

Still, it’s good to see some improvement for a Giants team near the basement in opponent rushing categories, and it’s come late against two talented running backs with loaded resumes.

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Dec 15, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) reacts after catching a touchdown pass as Baltimore Ravens cornerback Desmond King II (35) looks on during the second half at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The incredible season for rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers continued against the Ravens with another performance that helped power the small portion of offense that the Giants amassed.

Nabers, who entered the game with an impressive 80 receptions for 819 yards and three touchdowns, which was among the top-15 of the position, added to his resume with a 10-catch day for 82 yards and his first touchdown in twelve weeks to lead the Giants' receiving corps once again.

The stat line marked the third time this season that Nabers handled 10+ passes in his direction and the ninth time with double-digit targets. It was also his best performance in the last five games where he failed to exceed 80 yards and only went as high as 79 last week against the Saints.

It was an admirable showing for a young man whose team is 2-12 and going nowhere fast, and who is dealing with a hip flexor issue that has bothered him since Week 13. Still, he came out and tried to provide the Giants with some semblance of offensive movement and did so valiantly when new gunslinger Tim Boyle entered the equation in relief of Tommy DeVito in the second half.

Their most memorable connection came at the end of a 10-play, 70-yard drive in the early portion of the fourth quarter when Boyle threw it up towards Nabers on a fourth-and-4 gamble from the Ravens’ 23-yard line. Beating the cornerback to the edge of the end zone, Nabers stretched out his body to make and secure the ball for his fourth score and the Giants' second to cut the deficit to 35-14.

Boyle was able to comment on his new teammate's game and appreciation for helping him settle into a sudden role call in the Giants' tough loss.

"He's a special player. I'm glad I was able to connect with him a few times today," Boyle said.

“The way he approaches his work…the way he’s carried himself, he’s already a great pro. He knows his role on this team and he knows he has to play well on Sundays because we need him in this offense."

"He's a competitor, he wants to win. If he wants the ball, I don't blame him. He's a game-changer and we've got to find ways to get him the ball."

The Giants sure did get him the ball this time, because if not, who knows how much uglier the game could have gone for them on the offensive side. Nabers had been vocal about the team missing him on opportunities to impact their drives and paying off again late in a lost season, but one that gives Giants fans hope that they have at least one long-term piece in the huddle moving forward.

At least his rookie numbers are proving that, as he adds to a year that has set franchise and league records for rookies, he isn’t done with three games to go.

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More Postgame Coverage

• Giants Report Card: Make It Stop; Please Make It Stop!

• Tim Boyle Reflects on Giants Debut and Challenges He Had to Overcome

• Giants QB Tommy DeVito Exits Ravens Game with Concussion

• Injuries? Performance? Talent? What Gives with the New York Giants Defense?

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