ExtremeRavens Posted December 15 Posted December 15 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Here’s how the Ravens (9-5) graded out at every position after a 35-14 win over the Giants (2-12) on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium: Quarterback Lamar Jackson completed his first eight passes and, besides his fumble on the opening possession, this was more of a 7-on-7 drill for the seventh-year quarterback. There were times when Jackson held onto the ball too long, but it was clear he wanted to run more Sunday compared with two weeks ago against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson completed 21 of 25 passes for 290 yards and five touchdowns. He also rushed six times for 65 yards and avoided pressure several times by scrambling. Grade: A Running backs The Ravens didn’t use halfback Derrick Henry much in the first half and that was to be expected with the Giants crowding the line of scrimmage. But it was clear in the second half that Henry was going to be the focus of the offense and he grinded the Giants down in the final two quarters. Henry finished the game with 67 yards on 14 carries, including 42 yards in the second half. Backup Justice Hill had two carries for 7 yards and five catches for 61 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown off a screen pass in the fourth quarter. Grade: B Offensive line The Ravens finished with 445 yards of total offense, and this group dominated up front from the start of the Ravens’ second possession until they were ahead 28-7 late in the third quarter. The Ravens did a good job of working on combination blocks and provided Henry with lanes both inside and outside. Tackles Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten allowed too much pressure from the outside and Jackson made both look better with his elusiveness. Grade: B Ravens vs. Giants, December 15, 2024 | PHOTOS Receivers The Ravens picked apart a secondary that has been ravaged by injuries. In fact, New York was down to using developmental players as starters, and it showed. Ravens receivers were open most of the game on short to long patterns. Rashod Bateman had three catches for 80 yards, including two touchdowns in the first half. Zay Flowers also had six catches for 53 yards, and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely combined for four catches for 41 yards and a score. Andrews’ touchdown early in the first quarter was the 48th of his career, setting the Ravens’ all-time record. Flowers, though, needs to work on his run blocking. He stood around too much during the game. Grade: A Defensive line This was another area in which the Ravens dominated. The Giants had virtually no running game and finished with only 55 yards on 20 carries. It was a strong showing by all four tackles, including Michael Pierce, Broderick Washington, Travis Jones and Nnamdi Madubuike. Even in short-yardage situations, they all got good push and shut down running plays on the inside. Jones led this group with four tackles while Madubuike, Pierce and Washington contributed a combined five tackles. Neither of the Giants’ two starting quarterbacks had room to step up and throw in the pocket. Grade: A Linebackers Middle linebacker Roquan Smith had five tackles and his teammates did a good job of keeping offensive linemen off of him for most of the game. Smith didn’t have that same burst he showed two weeks ago against the Eagles, but he was still all over the field and even made one tackle 30 yards down the field on a passing play. The Ravens’ other inside linebacker, Malik Harrison, finished with eight tackles, six of those assisted. Kyle Van Noy and Chris Board had three tackles each, and Van Noy finished with one sack and one pressure. The group might have had more, but New York threw a lot of quick passes and screens. Grade: A- Secondary The Giants passed for only 181 yards but had receivers open several times. Early in the game, the Ravens’ tackling was poor, led by cornerback Tre’Davious White. When White went out and the Ravens brought in Brandon Stephens, New York went after him and Stephens was called for two pass interference penalties. There were also times when he failed to turn and look for the ball in an effort to recover and regain steps on the receiver. Despite the limitations of Giants quarterbacks Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle, the Ravens still gave up a lot of big plays on the back end. They should be thankful they were playing the Giants, not a high-octane offense like the one in Detroit. Grade: C- Special teams Hill had a kickoff return of 59 yards and Desmond King had a punt return of 22 yards to give the Ravens good field position. Jordan Stout had two punts for an average of 46 yards and Harrison made a special teams tackle. New York, though, did have two kickoff returns for an average of 27 yards, including a 30-yarder. Struggling kicker Justin Tucker made all of his extra point attempts but did not try a field goal as the Ravens scored touchdowns on five straight possessions at one point. Grade: B+ Coaching The Ravens were up to the task and dominated an inferior team, something they had struggled to do earlier this season. The Giants had no answers for the Ravens’ offense and were ill-equipped to challenge Baltimore’s defense with two inferior quarterbacks. Overall, the game went as expected. The Ravens came, conquered and went home with a win. But it will be a different game Saturday when the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers come to Baltimore. Certainly, the challenge will be more daunting and certainly more physical. The Ravens, though, can’t afford to keep piling up the penalties after committing a season-high 12 for 112 yards against the Giants. This team needs some discipline. Grade: B Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. 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