Jackson has started each of the 97 regular season and postseason games in which he’s played since Nov. 18, 2018. The Giants have had three quarterbacks start this season and four throw passes, the first time that’s happened since 1992, when the quarterbacks were Phil Simms, Jeff Hostetler, Dave Brown and Kent Graham.
The Giants did what they could, but they are depleted by injuries. Seven players who played at least 250 snaps and started a combined 61 games this season, including standouts like Dexter Lawrence, Jon Runyan, Jr., and Theo Johnson, are on injured reserve. Their six-man inactive list, three of them cornerbacks, have started a combined 51 games.
With so many regulars sidelined, the Giants started defensive lineman Jordon Riley, linebacker Darius Muasau, cornerback Greg Stroman and safety Dane Belton.
“These guys are doing everything they can do,” Daboll said. “Ran into a good football team with a lot of good football players, and they played well, and we didn’t play well.”
“A lot of guys had to step up,” said linebacker Brian Burns, who had one of the Giants’ three sacks. “At the end of the day, I look on the brighter side of things, the opportunity to show what they can do. It’s gonna be growing pains with guys that haven’t had a lot of experience. But Lamar is one of the best. He played a clean game.”
Except for one play. On the game’s second snap, Jackson ran for 15 yards to the Giants’ 12-yard line, but Adoree’ Jackson forced a fumble that he recovered. But the Giants couldn’t capitalize and punted.
Jackson didn’t make another mistake. Later in the quarter, Desmond King’s 22-yard punt return set the Ravens up at the Giants’ 33-yard line. Six plays later, Jackson threw to tight end Mark Andrews for a 13-yard touchdown on a third-and-13 immediately following Burns’ 10-yard sack of Jackson.
Baltimore again scored on an apparent unfavorable down-and-distance situation when Jackson threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman on second-and-11 with 10:53 remaining in the second quarter. A wide-open Bateman caught the ball at the Giants’ 5-yard line, used identical moves to sidestep tackle attempts by Jason Pinnock and Stroman, and stepped into the end zone for a 14-0 Ravens lead.
Devin Singletary got the Giants on the board with a 2-yard run that capped an 80-yard drive that took 8:38 off the clock and was aided by 41 yards in penalties for defensive holding (Marlon Humphrey), roughing the passer (Nnamdi Madubuike), defensive pass interference (Brandon Stephens), and illegal use of hands (Odafe Oweh).
The Giants would have been in a favorable position had they kept their 7-point deficit until halftime, particularly since they got the ball at the start of the second half. But less than two minutes later, on second-and-nine, Jackson struck them with another dagger, a 20-yard touchdown pass to Bateman with just 32 second remaining in the quarter.
“He obviously did a good job extending plays and finding the receivers down the field,” linebacker Micah McFadden said. “It’s definitely a difficult task.”
Boyle came out to take a kneel-down on the final snap of the first half, an ominous sign. When the second half began, he was the quarterback and DeVito was declared out with a concussion.
“He came off, talked to him a little bit and then right before we were going to go out there for that two-minute drive, I went over to him, and I talked about a particular play,” Daboll said. “We had a couple timeouts and I kind of saw his eyes. I asked the trainer to come over, take a look at him, and they took a look at him and so it was right after that touchdown series that we drove down.”
The Giants are Boyle’s sixth team since he entered the NFL as a free agent with Green Bay in 2019. Earlier this season, he played two games for the Miami Dolphins, Sept. 22 at Seattle and Oct. 20 in Indianapolis. He threw 24 passes, just the fifth time he reached that total in 23 NFL games.
In their last four games, DeVito and Drew Lock (inactive Sunday with a heel injury) have started twice each. Now Boyle enters the mix, and nobody can say with certainty who will start next week in Atlanta.
“It’s December football,” Boyle said. “And I get that. It’s a lot of injuries, unfortunately. But I’ve been a part of it, so it’s not something I’m super foreign to. It’s in the job description of being a quarterback. You’ve got to be ready to go when your number’s called. It’s all hands-on deck. All three of us are ready to go at that point.”
Boyle has thrown five touchdown passes and 13 interceptions in his 23 games. Jackson threw for five scores on Sunday – including second-half touchdowns to rookie Devontez Walker and Justice Hill. He is the first quarterback to throw five TDs against the Giants since Cam Newton on Dec. 20, 2015.
The Giants lost their ninth straight game and fell to 2-12. The talent-laden Ravens, whose roster includes Jackson, Derrick Henry, Andrews, receivers Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor and Bateman, are 9-5 and likely headed to the playoffs.
Jackson is 24-2 in 26 career starts against the NFC. DeVito and Boyle are a combined 3-10 in their careers.
It was a chasm too large for the Giants to overcome on Sunday.
