Giants Country

New York Giants Deliver Gritty 24-20 Win Over Ravens

The Giants advance to 5-1 following a stunning comeback effort against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in the game's final two minutes.

Joe Najarian

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

East Rutherford, N.J. -- The New York Giants added another impressive victory to their resume, defeating the Baltimore Ravens 24-20 at MetLife Stadium to improve to 5-1.

The Giants erased a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit thanks to a pair of forced turnovers by the defense. The first led to the eventual winning touchdown, while the second would put the game away.  

The two turnovers effectively swung the game into the Giants’ favor, as Baltimore had outgained New York in passing yards (195-155), rushing yards (211-83), and total offense (406-238).

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had one of the best games of his career, completing 19 of 27 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, with a passer rating of 112.1. Running back Saquon Barkley came alive in the second half, finishing the game with 83 rushing yards on 22 carries, and scored the game-winning touchdown while fighting through what appeared to be a right shoulder injury.

The Ravens took the opening kickoff and advanced to the Giants' 36, converting a pair of third downs along the way. But Giants linebacker Jihad Ward tackled Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for a six-yard loss on third down that pushed Baltimore out of field goal range.

After forcing the Giants to punt, the Ravens started another drive into Giants' territory, moving 46 yards in 11 plays. The Giants' defense forced the Ravens to settle for a field goal try, but kicker Justin Tucker, renowned for his accuracy, missed a 56-yard attempt that hit off the left upright.

The Giants were forced to punt again, and this time the Ravens responded with an eight-play, 89-yard touchdown drive. RB Kenyan Drake scored on a 30-yard touchdown run to give Baltimore a 7-0 lead.

Fortunately, the Giants started their next drive with great field position as Gary Brightwell returned Tucker’s kickoff to the Giants' 47. The Giants moved 53 yards in 10 plays, with two critical third-down conversions. 

Facing 3rd-and-14, Jones threw an 18-yard strike to wide receiver Darius Slayton, and on 3rd-and-12, Jones threw a 15-yard pass to receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. The rookie wideout would cap off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown catch, the first touchdown of his career, tying the game at 7.

The Ravens responded by storming into Giants territory, advancing as far as the Giants' 16-yard line. The big play was another 30-yard run by Drake, while Jackson completed passes to tight end Mark Andrews for 16 and 18 yards, respectively. But the Giants' defense managed to halt the drive, and the Ravens settled for a 34-yard field goal by Tucker to retake the lead, 10-7, heading into halftime.

The Giants were forced to punt to start the second half, and the Ravens stormed to the Giants' 5-yard line. Drake continued to gash New York’s run defense with a 20-yard run, the first of four consecutive first downs for Baltimore. But once again, the Ravens had to settle for a Tucker 23-yard field goal after the Giants' defense buckled down.

New York’s offense responded with a 14-play, 59-yard drive. A pivotal moment occurred when the Giants were faced with 4th-and-1 at the Baltimore 41-yard line when Giants head coach Brian Daboll had to decide whether to go for it. The Giants would end up with the first down without running a play after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called against Baltimore. 

The Giants moved to the Ravens' 5-yard line before Jones was sacked on third down. Kicker Graham Gano converted a 34-yard field goal to make it 13-10.

But the Ravens struck back with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Jackson set the tone with a 25-yard run to midfield, and Drake put up 27 more rushing yards from there. Jackson finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Andrews as Baltimore extended their lead to 20-10.

The Giants countered with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. An 18-yard pass to receiver Marcus Johnson on 3rd-and-4 and a 17-yard pass to Robinson on 2nd and 12 moved the Giants into Baltimore territory. Shortly after converting another 3rd down, Jones threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Bellinger to make it a three-point game again.

Baltimore would eventually face 3rd-and-1 on their next drive, but an illegal formation penalty moved them back five yards. On the ensuing play, a bad snap resulted in a broken play for Jackson, who threw an ill-advised pass that Giants safety Julian Love intercepted instead of taking a sack. Love returned it 27 yards to the Ravens’ 13-yard line to set up the Giants with an opportunity to take the lead late.

The Giants avoided disaster on 3rd-and-3 at the Ravens' 6-yard line. Ravens corner Marcus Peters intercepted Jones, but Peters was flagged for defensive pass interference for an automatic first down. On the next play, Barkley hurdled into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown run, putting the Giants ahead in dramatic fashion, 24-20.

After taking the lead for the first time all game, the Giants' defense came up clutch again. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Jackson was sacked by rookie linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, forcing a fumble recovered by defensive end Leonard Williams. 

Barkley picked up a first down at the Ravens' 2-yard line, which allowed the Giants to run out the clock and secure the win.  

Join the Giants Country Community

Published
Joe Najarian
JOE NAJARIAN

Joe Najarian, a Rutgers University graduate, covered Rutgers Football and Rutgers Baseball during an eight-month stint with Jersey Sporting News (JSN).

Home/Game Day