6 keys to victory in Week 15

The Ravens have the No. 1 run defense in the league. The Giants will start Tommy DeVito on Sunday, so they’ll have to get creative and do different things to move the ball on the ground. This means using reverses, jumbo packages, misdirection, extra motion, and whatever it takes to confuse the Ravens’ defensive front and linebackers into thinking Tyrone Tracy (or any other ball carrier) is going any direction except where he’s actually going. Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka need a serious strategy to combat the Ravens’ defense with an offensive line comprised of backups and guys playing through injuries.

The Giants don’t have many bright spots this season, but one of them is rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. If the Giants have one plus-matchup on Sunday, it will be Nabers against Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins.

Wiggins’ best metric is that he’s tied for 15th in the league with 10 passes defensed. Nabers’ athleticism and sheer talent will be enough to overcome what Wiggins throws at him. The Ravens’ defense is 25th in yards per reception, allowing 11.7 yards per catch, and they allow the eighth most receiving touchdowns in the league with 23. Nabers is likely the biggest key to this game.

The Giants are starting Tomm DeVito this week in place of the injured Drew Lock. DeVito releases the ball quickly, before the receivers are out of their breaks. The entire offense has to be on the same page, moving at the same speed as DeVito or the game is going to get really ugly, really fast. This means the line has to do its job, the receivers have to run accurate routes, tight ends, and running backs need to keep to their assignments, and everyone has to move at the same speed or DeVito isn’t going to connect with anyone.

This entire season, the Giants’ tackling has been horrendous. Derrick Henry is the top running back in the league for a reason. He’s strong as an ox and nearly impossible to bring down once he gets going. That’s a bad mix for New York. They cannot afford to miss tackles, which means the defenders have to wrap up Henry’s legs to bring him down. No shoulder tackles, that isn’t going to cut it against a beast like Henry. If they don’t take out his legs, he’s not going down.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a true dual-threat quarterback who can beat you with his arms or his legs. When he first entered the league, he was more prone to run than he is now, but he will take off when needed. The Giants have to pick one: either make him throw or make him run. With Henry already a problem on the ground, it makes the most sense to force Jackson to throw. Put a spy on him. Isaiah Simmons is an ideal choice to try to keep Jackson in the pocket.

If he can be contained in the pocket, Brian Burns or Kayvon Thibodeaux might be able to make something happen to prevent the Ravens from moving the ball down the field. Jackson is a difficult quarterback to defend; taking away one of his skill sets is the best way to do it.

A football game is comprised of four 15-minute quarters. That’s 60 minutes to move the ball down the field and score points and stop your opponent from doing the same. This season isn’t over, there are still games left to play, so the Giants must button their chinstraps and prepare to play a physical, violent game for four full quarters. The Ravens will come to play, and they play physical, violent football. If the Giants aren’t ready to match that physicality for a full 60 minutes, the game will be over before it starts.