Giants-Ravens 5 questions: It would be nice to be an 8-5 ‘disappointment’

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The New York Giants are a disappointing 2-11. Amazingly, the Baltimore Ravens can also be considered a disappointment with an 8-5 record. Let’s learn more about the Ravens in this week’s ‘5 questions’ with Kyle Barber of Baltimore Beatdown.

Ed: How would you describe the season so far for the Ravens? I would think 8-5 qualifies as a disappointment. Do you still see Baltimore as a championship contender?

Kyle: If we’re judging regular season performance, yes, the Ravens have underperformed. That can be said by watching their games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns. But, I think the fanbase does not care for the regular season at this point and it’s solely about the playoffs. The Ravens could’ve gone 17-0 in the regular season but it wouldn’t mean a thing for the fanbase if they don’t reach and/or win the Super Bowl. Call it crazy but I think this fanbase would prefer being 8-5 over 17-0 because the regular season awards mean nothing. They support their players and they would love to see Lamar Jackson win another MVP and Derrick Henry get the rushing title, etc., but the Super Bowl is the only thing they’re being judged on. And if they don’t reach or win the Super Bowl, it’s going to be hard to see how this fanbase will support Head Coach John Harbaugh. I wrote about how this fanbase is frustrated with the similar issues they repeat and it’s becoming the overarching narrative of the season and team, and the buck stops at Harbaugh. Fans know that he’s a top-tier head coach but they’re frustrations are mounting and only postseason performance will determine the fanbase’s judgment.

Ed: Deonte Banks is a Baltimore kid and played at Maryland. Have you been surprised by the effort issues he has had this season? There is no indication of attitude/effort issues I can find in his background.

Kyle: here has been no indication of Banks’ effort issues or attitude during his career up until this season. I know former Giants and Ravens defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale liked Banks and he has no affinity for players who take plays off, so it’s a bizarre situation. I’ve spoken to a few other media members about this and never was it the case during his time in Maryland or otherwise.

Ed: If you could take one player off the Giants’ roster and put him in Baltimore’s lineup, who would it be? Why?

Kyle: If you asked me a week ago, it’d be the same answer I gave you two years ago: DL Dexter Lawrence. But, I’ll head in a different direction.

Adding edge rusher Brian Burns would be an excellent addition to the Ravens’ defense. They’re not exactly hankering for another edge rusher with starters Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, but another high-quality pass rusher would amplify this defense further at an impact position.

Ed: Josh Johnson is the backup to Lamar Jackson. I thought Baltimore would have been a great landing spot for Daniel Jones. Do you think the Ravens seriously considered bringing him in? Would you have been in favor of it?

Kyle: I, like you, felt Jones would be an excellent fit for the Ravens. I even included what you said in an article on Baltimoreravens.com. He made sense for the Ravens and would be beneficial for them over Johnson. And I do believe they were seriously considering him.

Ed: The Giants have lost eight straight games. They are 2-11. They are 0-7 at home. Is there any path you can see for New York to stun the Ravens and win this game? If so, what does it look like?

Kyle: There’s always a chance for the Ravens to drop a game. They have — in my opinion — the highest ceiling of any team in the NFL, but the lowest floor of any contender. They could bumble and stumble and keep the Giants hanging around.

Scenario: Ravens struggle in the red zone and Justin Tucker’s kicking woes continue, leaving points off the board. Malik Nabers and DeVito find some openings and get into the end zone once or twice and the Ravens exchange punts or lose a turnover. Then, in the fourth, the Ravens are too late to make a pitched comeback and the Giants make a defensive play or two to win it, similar to 2022.

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