Giants RB Brandon Jacobs should see some action after missing last week’s contest.
New York quarterback Eli Manning could be one of the many walking wounded Saturday night when his
Giants go into Baltimore for a preseason contest against the
Ravens.
Most offshore sports books monitored by the Don Best odds product have New York as a four-point underdog, with a total of 37 ½-points. The Giants are 1-1 both SU and ATS in the preseason. The game they won versus the Jets (31-16) was a comeback by the backups.
Manning suffered a facial laceration injury after a vicious shot from the Jets' defense in the opening game. He received 12 stitches to close the gash. Manning sat out last week's game against Pittsburgh (24-17 home loss), but is expected to see at least a half of action on Saturday.
Rhett Bomar, now the backup QB with Jim Sorgi sidelined at least another week with a shoulder injury, will enter after Manning. The second-year man from Sam Houston State (and previously Oklahoma) had to play the entire game against the Steelers. He went 13-of-26 for 167 yards and an interception.
Running back Brandon Jacobs (neck) will play after sitting last week. He's battling Ahmad Bradshaw for the starting position, although they will share caries either way. The offensive line is healthier too. It's important for the starting offense to jell because backups usually play the final preseason game.
New defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is trying to fix a defense that went from fifth in total yards allowed in 2008 (292) to 13th last year (324.9). The Giants allowed 40 points or more in three of their last four games. Those three losses helped drop their record to 8-8.
Fewell's defense has been hit with injuries, and several players could miss this game. Cornerback Aaron Ross (foot) is out, while corner Terrell Thomas (calf) and defensive linemen Jay Alford (knee), Jason Pierre-Paul (groin) and Chris Canty (groin) are all questionable.
The Giants are listed at plus 1,400 to win the NFC. They won the Super Bowl three years ago and went 12-4 in 2008 before getting upset by Philadelphia in the divisional round.
Baltimore is one of the favorites to win the AFC at plus 525. That only trails Indianapolis (plus 325) and San Diego (plus 450), and is just ahead of the Jets (plus 570) and New England (plus 575).
The Ravens' first two games were a 17-12 home win over Carolina and a 23-3 win at Washington. The pointspreads were 4 ½ and three-points respectively. Carolina's lone touchdown occurred on a fumble return, so Baltimore's defense hasn't allowed a touchdown.
Defense is once again Baltimore's strong suit after finishing third in the league in yards allowed (300.5). The front-seven doesn't have many holes, although there are injury concerns in the secondary.
Safety Ed Reed (hip) and cornerback Lardarius Webb (ACL) are both out. Cornerback Fabian Washington looked good in his preseason debut last week after recovering from his own ACL surgery.
Baltimore's offense is expected to make a big leap. The running game should be top-5 in the NFL again. The league's 18th ranked passing attack was given a boost with the acquisition of receivers Anquan Boldin and Donté Stallworth, plus the re-signing of Derrick Mason.
That puts the pressure squarely on Joe Flacco. The third-year quarterback was terrific as a rookie and continued his progression last year (3,613 passing yards, 88.9 quarterback rating). Many fans wanted more improvement, but Boldin will be his first true No. 1 receiver.
Flacco looked good against Carolina (8-of-12, 120 yards) and decent against Washington (9-of-16, 72 yards). Backup Marc Bulger has looked very good, but this is clearly Flacco's team.
These teams last met in 2008 with the Giants administering a 30-10 home beating.
Saturday's game will begin at 4:30 p.m. (PT) with no national broadcast. The weather forecast calls for a clear sky with the temperature around 80 degrees.