Ravens Hold Edge Over Giants on Both Sides of Ball

The Ravens host the Giants in Week 16 in a game that will have playoff implications.

Here's how Baltimore and New York match up.

Rush Offense

Ravens: With the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack averaging 172.7 yards rushing per game, Baltimore will look to pound the ball against New York. Rookie J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards have essentially split carries over the second half of the season and they wear opponents down in the second half. Quarterback Lamar Jackson leads the Ravens with 828 yards rushing, 

Giants: Wayne Gallman leads New York with 590 yards rushing but he will be challenged to find yards against the Ravens stout front seven. Quarterback Daniel Jones is questionable and is second on the team with 403 yards. The Giants are ranked 16th with 113.5 yards per game. 

Advantage Ravens

Pass Offense

Ravens: Jackson has thrown for 2,461 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. After some struggles, wide receiver Hollywood Brown is back on track and leads the team with 49 receptions for 703 yards with five touchdowns. However, he missed practice time this week with a knee injury Tight end Mark Andrews also has been solid over the past three games. The Ravens are ranked 31st with 173.9 yards passing per game. 

Giants: Jones (hamstring/ankle) has been listed as questionable. He has thrown for 2,462 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. If Jones is sidelined, Colt McCoy will get the start, but he has thrown for just 375 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Darius Slayton leads the team with 703 yards receiving on 46 receptions, followed by Evan Engram (54, receptions 572 yards).

Advantage Ravens

Rush Defense

Ravens: Defensive end Calais Campbell will provide a boost if he is able to return to the lineup after missing the previous game with a calf injury. Overall, the Ravens allow 343.7 yards per game, which ranks ninth in the league. Baltimore is getting solid contributions from rookies Justin Madubuike and middle linebacker Patrick Queen, who leads the team with 97 tackles.  

Giants: New York is ranked sixth in allowing both 101.8 yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry. The Giants have only allowed one player to eclipse 100 yards and that was in the regular-season opener when Steelers running back Benny Snell Jr. finished with 113 yards on nine carries. New York is led by middle linebacker Blake Martinez, who has a team-high 128 tackles and does a solid job flying to the ball.

Advantage Even

Pass Defense

Ravens: Cornerbacks Marcus Peters missed the previous game against Jacksonville but could be back in the lineup. Fellow cornerback Jimmy Smith has already been ruled out. The Giants have struggled to move the ball and have the league's 31st-ranked offense. The Ravens front seven has been solid keeping opposing quarterback under pressure and New York has allowed 42 sacks this season. 

Giants: Cornerback James Bradberry leads the team with three interceptions.  Overall, New York allows 244.6 yards passing per game, ranked 21st in the NFL. Leonard Williams leads the pass rush with 8.5 sacks, followed by Dexter Lawrence (four sacks). The Giants have been solid against dual-threat quarterbacks this season and they will be focused on containing Jackson.

 Advantage Ravens

Special Teams

Ravens: Justin Tucker has converted 23 of 26 field-goal attempts and missed a 57-yard kick against Jacksonville last week. Still, Tucker is regarded as the best kicker in the league. Sam Koch is averaging 42.9 yards per punt, seventh in the NFL. Baltimore is getting solid production from rookies Devin Duvernay (28.4 yards per kickoff return) and James Proche (8.6 yards per punt return). 

Giants: Graham Gano, now in his 11th season, has converted 28 of 29 field-goal attempts. Riley Dixon averages 39.1 yards per punt. Jabrill Peppers averages 11.8 yards per punt return and Dion Lewis is averaging 23.2 yards on kickoffs. 

Advantage Ravens

Prediction

The Ravens have won three straight games and the offense is rolling. Baltimore has to win its final two games and needs help from other teams to make the playoffs for a third straight year. As a result, the Ravens cannot afford a slip against the Giants, who are still alive in the NFC East.

Final Score: Ravens 30, Giants 12