The Giants could not have slinked out of playoff contention in a more meager fashion as they were dominated by the Ravens in a 27-13 loss on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.
Now at 5-10, the Giants’ season is likely to end next week against the Dallas Cowboys — much later than anyone had previously anticipated. But the inevitable was delayed by the embarrassment that is the NFC East, which could see a six-win team take the division.
Daniel Jones returned after missing Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns with a sprained ankle but did little to resurrect a dead Giants offense that had scored just 30 combined points in their previous three games and just 13 in their last two.
He completed just 24-of-41 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown while getting sacked six times by a flying Ravens defense that abused the Giants’ offensive line.
An inept offense was no match for the high-powered attack led by reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and a dangerous run game.
Outgaining the Giants 433-269, the Ravens racked up 249 yards on the ground. Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins led the way with a combined 162 yards while Jackson added an additional 80 on the ground to go with 183 passing yards on the day.
They scored on all four of their first-half possessions with two touchdowns on their opening drives to speed out to a comfortable advantage. They outgained the Giants 147-13 in the first quarter alone.
New York’s lone source of scoring through the first three quarters came from Graham Gano, whose two field goals extended his consecutive-made streak to 29, tying a franchise record.
Down 27-6 early in the fourth, Jones recorded his first passing touchdown since Nov. 8 against the Washington Football Team when he hit Sterling Shepard for a three-yard score, though the 76-yard drive was aided largely by Ravens penalties.
Their very slim lifeline grew by the slightest millimeters inside the two-minute warning when Edwards fumbled it away on the goal line that only would have iced Baltimore’s win further. But down two possessions, they turned the ball over on downs near midfield.
