Giants and Ravens in Super Bowl XXV Re-Match

August 28, 2010

A rematch of Super Bowl XXXV will happen Saturday as the New York Giants take on the Baltimore Ravens in week 3 of the NFL pre-season. Obviously a lot has changed in terms of personnel since that game, but both teams still use a defensive philosophy to win.

The Giants had a miserable second half of the year in 2009. After a 5-0 start, the New York defense fell apart as they allowed 40+ points in 5 of their final 11 games. They finished the year at 8-8 and well out of the playoff hunt. Many of the problems on defense were due to injuries, but they are healthy again for 2010, and loaded with talent. The Giants used their first 4 picks in the 2010 NFL Draft to strengthen their “D”. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is a freak! New York saw past his lack of experience and drafted him based on athletic ability. He moves like a linebacker, but has the strength and size of a D-end. Defensive tackle Linval Joseph, FS Chad Jones and linebacker Phillip Dillard were taken in rounds 2-4. This defense is absolutely loaded with talent, but will need to mesh as a unit if the Giants are to make it to the playoffs again.

Eli Manning and company did all they could to keep the Giants in games last year. I think Manning has turned the corner, and is not a legitimate threat to move the ball down field. He will have an easier time this season as the Giants have a ton of weapons to utilize on offense. Their receivers group may be youthful, but they have gained a ton of experience over the last 2 seasons. Steve Smith has become Manning’s favorite target. Smith caught 107 passes for 1220 yards last season, and has become Manning’s go to receiver in critical situations. Along with Smith the G-Men have Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and rookie Ramses Barden. Barden like Pierre-Paul is a bit of a project, but has a tremendous up-side as he has great hands and size. Manning and the Giants offensive coordinator are hoping they don’t have to air it out like they did a year ago. The reason for this is their hopes of being more efficient with their running game.

Brandon Jacobs had a bad year statistically, but he played hurt for the majority of the season in 2009. He’s nursing a neck injury, but will be back at full strength to start the season. Ahmad Bradshaw proved last season that he is capable of eluding tacklers, and can contribute at any time. His 4.8 yards per rush was more than a yard better than the power rushing game of Jacobs. This part of the offense will be critical for the Giants this year. If they can eat up the clock and move the ball more consistently, then it will take the strain off of their defense.

Baltimore is expected to be one of the best teams in all of football this season. Most NFL handicappers have them winning between 11-12 games, and possibly getting to the Super Bowl. As a football expert, I feel that they may be slightly over-rated only because of their lack of depth at receiver.

Joe Flacco didn’t have a Pro Bowl caliber year in 2009, but he did improve dramatically. His total yards passing, completion percentage, touchdowns and quarterback rating all increased from his rookie season to year 2. Flacco isn’t looked upon to lead an aerial assault, but to lead his team without making any major mistakes. That is a much easier task to handle when you have one of the best running backs in the league in the backfield. Ray Rice had an incredible first season as the starting running back. He rushed for 1339 yards and 7 touchdowns, and caught an incredible 78 passes for 702 yards receiving. Rice is a fantasy league beast, and will have another great year in 2010.

On defense, they are led by the great Ray Lewis. Lewis may be in his 15th season, but he still plays with an incredible intensity that is second to none. His work ethic and knowledge of the defense is what keeps him at the top of his game. Lewis has acquired some help this year as the Ravens picked up several key defensive players via the draft. Sergio Kindle is a highly rated defensive end that Baltimore picked up with their first selection. Along with Kindle they took DT Terrence Cody from Alabama. The Ravens are hoping that these 2 draft picks will help their secondary as they put more pressure on the opposing quarterbacks.

This may be a pre-season game, but you can surely expect tons of intensity as these teams look to size themselves to their competition prior to the start of the season. Tune in Saturday as the Ravens host the Giants in a match-up of top notch defenses.

Written by Glenn Andrew · Filed Under NFL

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