Giants vs. Ravens: Predictions sure to go wrong

Today’s matchup between the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens will feature two teams that started the 2016 season undefeated. Then a combination of injuries, poor play, and some bad decisions led them both to losing streaks.

A prediction sure to come true — barring a tie — is that one of those streaks will come to an end today, and the other will continue.

But how about some predictions that are perhaps a bit less likely to go right?

The Giants Will Play A Complete Game

It would be easy to sit here and predict that the Giants would fail to play a solid football game. After all, they’ve largely failed to do so since the the second half of Week 3.

So I’m going to the other way and predict a complete game. Not a perfect game, they will make their mistakes, but all phases of the game will show up. Why? Partly because I’m taking the play of a beat up defensive secondary against Aaron Rodgers as a hint that the players are buying in and starting to gel.

But also because I’m going to be in Massachusetts for a family get-together and won’t be able to watch the game. This is far from scientific but “Figures they’d play a good game when I can’t watch!”

The Giants Will Give Up A Big Play

The defense has its work cut out for it prepping for the Ravens’ offense this week. The mid-week switch from Marc Trestman to Marty Mornhinweg as Baltimore offensive coordinator makes preparation tougher than normal. We have no clue how much their first five games of tape can tell the Giants about the offense they’ll see today. It seems likely, however, that the Ravens will open up the vertical aspect of their passing game. While Darian Thompson is out of his walking boot, he will still miss the game, and though Andrew Adams has had two good weeks against Minnesota and Green Bay, he is still an undrafted rookie. A vertical passing attack featuring a rocket-armed QB like Joe Flacco and a pair of speedsters like Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman will stress the safety. It might be too much to expect that Adams lock down a dedicated vertical attack for an entire game in just his third start.

A Giants Tight End Will Score A Touchdown

Rookie Jerell Adams played well in limited snaps against Green Bay, and Larry Donnell is back from his concussion. Assuming Adams has earned himself a bigger role in the Giants’ offense, that would give Eli Manning a pair of bigger targets than he has had the past few games.

On the Ravens side, linebacker C.J. Mosley is listed as “doubtful” with a thigh injury. Mosley has become a key player, not only as their middle linebacker communicating the defense, but as an important part of their pass coverage. With Mosley down, the middle of the Ravens’ defense could be weaker and vulnerable to the Giants’ tight ends. Manning has shown a willingness to go to his secondary options in the red zone, so this could be a matchup they exploit.