Back when Mike Tyson was terrorizing the heavyweight division in boxing in the late 1980’s, he had a famous quote when asked why his opponents could not handle his ferocious power:
“Everybody’s got a plan…until they get hit.”
The Baltimore Ravens had all of their intentions set on shutting down the Giants running game. And why not? They were the number one defense in football stopping the run and this game was built up as a heavyweight slugfest.
Instead, the world champions delivered body shots, jabs and right-crosses before finally delivering an uppercut sending the Ravens down for the count in an early round knockout and a 30-10 triumph at Giants Stadium.
Angered all week over talk of how stout their run defense was; the Giants sent a message right that Baltimore was not going to have the same success stopping what is becoming a juggernaut of a team.
On their second offensive play, on a day where winds at the Meadowlands was swirling at over 25 MPH, it appeared running back Brandon Jacobs (nine carries for 73 yards – he left with a leg injury at halftime and did not return) was going to be slowed in the backfield for three-yard loss. Instead, he was able to reverse field to the left side and found open running space for a 36-yard gallop. The drive concluded with a one-yard touchdown run by Jacobs to open up a quick 7-0 lead.
Baltimore attempted a field for their first points when the kick was blocked by Fred Robbins and on a mad scramble for the ball was finally recovered at the Ravens 33. It took only six plays for the Giants to capitalize on their good fortune; capped by a second Jacobs’s touchdown run to make it 13-0 (the snap on the extra point was bobbled).
The Giants then took their third possession from their own 10-yard and marched down 90 yards to make it a 20-0 lead. In the process, wearing down and pushing the Ravens to extinction. Derrick Ward opened up the defense with a 22-yard run followed up with several completions by Eli Manning to Amani Toomer (nine yards), Plaxico Burress (15 yards) and Ward again (eight yards). After being in unsuccessful in their first two attempts from the Ravens one-yard line, Manning play faked and found third string tight end Darcy Johnson open in the end zone for a touchdown the lead swelled to 20-0.
The rushing offense of the Ravens, among the league’s best was not finding any success against the Giants front in the first half, limited to only 40 yards on 12 carries. For the game, they rushed for 121 yards, yet 57 of those came on broken play scrambles by quarterback Joe Flacco. Willis McGahee (nine carries for 18 yards) and Rutgers rookie Ray Rice (eight carries for 19 yards) found nowhere to run and nothing but blue jerseys in their face.
Matt Stover finally got Baltimore on the scoreboard prior to halftime to save face at 20-3 and a Ray Lewis interception of a Manning pass saved them from falling behind even more.
In the third quarter, the Ravens inched closer when on an all out blitz; Flacco (20 for 33, 164 yards) found running back Laron McClain for a 12-yard touchdown reception to cut the Giants lead to 10 points. Suddenly, a game that was being thoroughly dominated was now competitive.
The Giants defense got their game breaking play with: 25 left in the quarter when Flacco’s pass was deflected and intercepted by cornerback Aaron Ross (two interceptions) who ran it back yards for a touchdown.
On the play, Flacco tried to hit wide receiver Derrick Mason on a five-yard out pattern. Corey Webster was playing in a soft zone and drilled Mason in the back forcing the ball up into the air where Ross caught and ran to daylight to make it 27-10.
Game. Set. Match. The Ravens had no choice but to surrender. They had been beaten at their own game in bloody,
The only remaining drama was whether the Giants would become the first team in 28 games to stop the Ravens streak of allowing a rusher of over 100 yards. Ahmad Bradshaw (the third of the “Earth, Wind and Fire” trio) entered the game and took a stretch play going left, cut it back towards the middle and went streaking up the field for what looked to a sure 80 yard touchdown run. Unfortunately, Bradshaw was taken down from behind at the two-yard line. He ended up finishing with 96 yards on the day.
Watching the running is a sight to behold. When Jacobs is not pounding away at the defense and times, running them over, the Giants turn to Ward for a change of pace. Once the defense has been softened up and worn down, here comes the energy, power and speed of Bradshaw to run away from the defense. This formula has worked to perfection, beating the Ravens at the own smash mouth game in the most dominating fashion possible.
The best run defense in football was run over by the league best rushing offense to the tune of 207 rushing yards. It is the fifth time this season the Giants have run for over 200 yards.
At 9-1, the world champions have a three and half-game lead over both the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East. Next up is a return trip to the site of their Super Bowl XLII triumph to face the resurgent Kurt Warner and the explosive Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium.
The beat goes on.
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