The New York Giants have won their last two games and continue to surprise the league by sporting a 4-1 record. The Baltimore Ravens, on the other hand, are coming off a win on Sunday Night Football and opened the week as 5.5-point favorites.
The MetLife Stadium crowd has shown more life and more spark than they have in the last few years given the surprising record for Big Blue. The Giants will need the fans to be loud and proud on Sunday to help pull off another upset.
Here are some causes for concern going into Week 6 against the Ravens.
Ravens' takeaways on defense
The Ravens come into the game with 11 takeaways, which is tied for most in the league. They are also tied for second in turnover differential going into Week 6.
Ravens defensive back Marcus Williams already has three picks on the year, tied for second in the league. There is a ton of talent on the Baltimore defense and the Giants will need to be careful not to turn the ball over.
Daniel Jones and the Giants offense have done pretty well protecting the football this year. Going up against a team like the Ravens, Big Blue will need to take extra care of the ball.
Given the talent of the Ravens, the Giants will also need to be on the lookout for an opportunity to force a turnover.
This is the Giants’ second matchup in a row against a premier opponent in the league — they will need to play mistake free football in order to come away with this one.
Justin Tucker
Traditionally, a kicker isn’t exactly what you think of when you think about causes for concerns. However, in the case of Justin Tucker, he changes that narrative and should be someone opponents fear when they go up against the Ravens.
Many believe that Tucker is the greatest kicker of all-time and even if he’s not, he is most certainly in the conversation.
It isn’t just the accuracy that makes Tucker a concern when going up against the Ravens, however. It’s the distance as well. Tucker’s accuracy from 50-plus yards away extends the field goal range for the Ravens more than most teams in the NFL.
The Giants have been a bend but don’t break defense all year long and have also been winning a lot of close games. If there’s a situation where the Ravens have a little time left in the first half or in the fourth quarter, Big Blue has to be careful and considers Tucker’s extended field goal range.
Lamar Jackson running threat
Lamar Jackson is one of the best running quarterbacks in the league for the last few years. In a revenge game for Wink Martindale, he has to have the defense ready to defend against Jackson’s threat as both a passer and a runner.
The Giants should hope to contain Jackson within the pocket and get pressure on him, which is a much taller task against someone like Jackson.
The Giants’ speed, Martindale’s system and the fact that he spent time with Jackson in Baltimore before coming to the Giants are certainly reasons for optimism when considering the matchup. However, Jackson’s talent makes it very difficult to contain him even if you know what is coming.
