BAL-NYG-06 — Photos via USA Today Sports Network

Why the Giants Will Beat the Baltimore Ravens, Why They Won't, and a Prediction

The New York Giants are once again the underdogs. Can they pull off another stunning upset this weekend?

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Oct 16, 2022 8:00 AM EDT

No matter what the New York Giants do, critics will always doubt they're anything more than a lucky franchise that has managed a surprising 4-1 record.

But with each win they post over a higher quality opponent, they no doubt erase more and more doubts, and they have another chance at doing so this weekend when they host the Baltimore Ravens, by far one of their most difficult challenges.

The Giants, who thus far are undefeated against teams outside of the NFC East, are looking to make it 5-1 with a win over the Ravens. If they pull it off, that will go a long way toward quelling even more grumbles from critics who have dubbed the Giants "the worst 4-1 team in the league."

Why the Giants Will Win

Much has been made about each side's "Wink Martindale" factor. The Ravens know what their former defensive coordinator is all about, whereas the Giants, thanks to Martindale, know what the Ravens are all about.

But in drilling down deeper, the Giants might have more of an advantage here because Martindale knows the strengths of the Ravens' offense and its personnel. In contrast, the Ravens might know how Martindale thinks but not necessarily how he might specifically apply his philosophies to the Giants' personnel.

Granted, that can be gleaned through film study, but one might think Martindale was much further along in his assessment of the Ravens than vice versa. Martindale also changes up his defense every week, and the Ravens have yet to see how he might match wits against them.

And did I mention one Saquon Barkley as a reason to believe the Giants can pull out a win? The Ravens, per Radar Sports, have only loaded the box 28.57 percent of the time against the run this year.

But even if the Ravens load up the box more against Barkley, which might not be in their best interest given their pass coverage struggles, Barkley not only has that burst and elusiveness to slip outside, but he's also a threat in the passing game.

Why the Giants Will Lose

The Ravens pass defense is weird. The unit is ranked last in the NFL in yards allowed but is tied for the league lead (with the Steelers and Bills) in interceptions with eight.

The Ravens' pass defense, for whatever shortcomings it might have, does a good job of disguising and tricking opponents into making mistakes and isn't shy about going after the ball. Those turnovers have helped mask some of the issues existing elsewhere on defense.

RELATED: First Look at Baltimore Ravens Defense

Thus far, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been mostly sharp with his decision-making process and keeping the ball out of harm's way. But he's not really faced a defense like what the Ravens have run so far this year and will have hopefully aced his classroom tests on identifying the numerous ways Baltimore disguises coverages to trick quarterbacks.

Prediction

I promise this will probably be the last time before the bye that I pick against the Giants (though, to be honest, with a couple of exceptions, the Giants have done the opposite of what I've predicted, which means if I have to take one for the team moving forward, then I'm on board).

Ravens 24, Giants 20