With 33-14 win versus New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens claim AFC North – NFL Recap
The Baltimore Ravens have claimed American Football Conference (AFC) North title for second straight season after they beat the visitors and Super Bowl reigning champions the New York Giants comprehensively 33 to 14 points on Sunday (Dec.
23).
In a must-win situation the Ravens’ offensive line put up a strong show of 533 yards combined from quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Their cause was helped by struggling Giants, who because of the weekend’s loss are on the brink
to lose the playoff race.
Playing for second time under new offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell, quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 309 yards, and two touchdowns to prove his credentials for no-huddle offence.
His performance was complemented by running back Ray Rice who ran for 107 yards. He also held six passes for 51 yards, and a touchdown.
Ray said of his performance:
"It's about execution, man. It's a simple word, but it's a very tough task to do. This was a championship game for us."
The Giants did not appear closer to their potential, which describes the reason why they have lost five out of last seven games.
Coach Tom Coughlin said of the situation:
"Obviously, we have a bad formula going on right here. We're having trouble stopping people and our offense doesn't hold the ball at all to give the defence a chance to catch their breath. We've had two games in a row, pretty much the
exact same scenario."
Quarterback Eli Manning managed to complete 14 out of 28 passes for 150 yards, which was not up to his potential and could not substantiate the team’s victory chances.
He said:
“We knew we had to play our best football at the end of the season to get into the playoffs, and we haven't done that. When you're not playing your best."
As reflective from Manning’s remarks, the playoff situation has become very difficult for the reigning champions now, and if they fail, which is increasingly becoming evident, it would be very poor performance by any team in the league
who had won Super Bowl title a year earlier.
Nevertheless, it was a good and timely win for the Ravens. They were in a must-win situation, given the Cincinnati Bengals were right at their back, raring to finish atop the AFC North. The Bengals have managed to progress into playoffs,
for second straight year, and had the Ravens lost their game, the Bengals could have clinched the AFC North title.
It is second time in last two years that Ravens have won the AFC North. With the win over the Giants they also have claimed the home-field advantage in the postseason, which can come to their benefit to progress straight into the AFC Championship
game.
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