Baltimore entered as the largest road favorite in a Giants home game since New York played at Yankee Stadium. Then, Lamar Jackson hit a five-run grand slam in the Raven’s 35-14 win.
Jackson became the first player in NFL history to post at least an 80-percent completion percentage, 250 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and 50 rushing yards with zero interceptions. He threw five touchdown passes and only four incompletions to keep Baltimore (9-5) poised to pounce on the first-place Steelers. The Ravens will now host Pittsburgh in an AFC North showdown on Saturday.
He opened the game with a strikeout, however, fumbling away the Ravens’ first drive at the Giants’ 12-yard line.
“I felt I started off slow with that turnover. I was hot about that,” said Jackson, who finished 21 of 25 for 290 yards, tied a career-best with five touchdown passes and missed a perfect game by two tenths of a point, with a 154.6 passer rating. “Just had to lock in and play Raven football and that’s what we did.”
Rashod Bateman entered the day with three receiving touchdowns over his last two seasons. He caught two on Sunday, including a 49-yard strike in the second quarter to put Baltimore up by two touchdowns. Jackson also threw touchdowns to Justice Hill, Mark Andrews and rookie Devontez Walker, his first career score. Andrews established a franchise record by scoring his 48th career touchdown, surpassing Jamal Lewis (47).
Starter Tommy DeVito sustained a second-quarter concussion and didn’t return, making Tim Boyle the fourth quarterback over the last five games for the Giants (2-12). Malik Nabers also was briefly sidelined as collateral damage, kicked by his teammate Chris Manhertz in a shoving match with Roquan Smith. New York’s lone bright spot this season, Nabers caught 10 passes for 82 yards and returned to the end zone late in the game.
New York has lost nine straight for just the fourth time in its 100-year history (also 1976, 2003-04 and 2019). The Giants, who have the best chance for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 draft, are 0-8 at home and in Week 17 against Indianapolis could become the first club in league history to finish 0-9 in home games.
Baltimore is one of four teams playing three games in 11 days, along with Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Houston. The Ravens kicked off that brutal stretch on Sunday. After they host the Steelers on Saturday, the Ravens are at Houston on Christmas Day, a Wednesday.
For more information on the Ravens and Giants, visit the Baltimore and N.Y. Giants team pages at ProFootballPost.com.
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