Giants Come Back as Defense Forces Two Late Turnovers

The Giants are blitzing 40 percent of the time this season, which ranks second in the league, according to N.F.L. Next Gen Stats. In the Giants’ thrilling Week 5 win over Green Bay, they blitzed quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a fourth-down play that would have sent the game to overtime if the Packers had scored. But the pass was batted down by defensive back Xavier McKinney.

With just under two minutes remaining Sunday, and the Giants clinging to a 4-point lead, Martindale drew up a blitz. Linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux found his way to Jackson, sacking him and knocking the ball loose. The Giants recovered the fumble, effectively ending the game. Thibodeaux recorded a video as he fought through tears after the win: “Man, you-all can see my emotions going crazy,” Thibodeaux said. “We did it, man.”

At times Sunday, Martindale’s approach did not seem to be effective, and it did not always appear that Thibodeaux would be crying tears of joy after the game. The Ravens (3-3) exploited the Giants’ run defense, which had allowed the second-most yards in the league before Sunday, for big gains at every turn. Jackson, Kenyan Drake and J.K. Dobbins combined for 211 yards rushing. Drake, who had 119 yards on 10 carries, eclipsed 100 yards for the first time since November 2020, when he played for the Arizona Cardinals.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/16/sports/football/giants-ravens-score.html