The Ravens erased the past three weeks by getting back on track in a dominating win over the Giants. The Ravens played really well in all three phases of the game. In fact, had it not been for some awful officiating, this could have been much worse. Is this a sign of things to come, or just a good game by the Ravens combined with a poor performance from New York? Either way, the Ravens clinched the division and will host the Colts in the first round of the playoffs.
Quarterbacks: The Ravens finally started Joe Flacco out with some easy completions and by running the ball, and it got him in a rhythm from the first snap of the ball. He threw a number of great passes throughout the game thanks to much improved mechanics. Grade: A
Running backs: Ray Rice was much more active in the passing game, which is hopefully a sign of things to come. Bernard Pierce continues to run hard through contact and pick up extra yards. Both players finished with more than 100 yards on the ground. Grade: A
Wide receivers: Torrey Smith made a beautiful grab on a deep throw in the first quarter to set up a score. Jacoby Jones had a nice touchdown grab that was negated by an official's mistake on the review. Anquan Boldin came up with a big catch on third-and-18 and it seems like the Ravens might try to get him more involved over the middle of the field. He eventually left the game with an injury. Grade: A
Offensive line: The Ravens took pressure off of their offensive line by setting up the play-action by running the ball and throwing quick, short passes. The line responded by giving Flacco excellent pass protection and opening up some huge holes for the running game. Grade: A
Defensive line: Terrell Suggs looked more comfortable playing with his torn biceps this week, but continues to be nothing more than a decoy. Haloti Ngata came up with a big sack and was a force against the run. Overall, this group did a nice against the run and pass. Grade: B+
Linebackers: Ray Lewis was out, but Dannell Ellerbe was back with a vengeance. He played very well and didn't seem to be bothered by a sore foot at all. Brandon Ayanbadejo also had a strong game, recording a sack and tackling well. Grade: B+
Secondary: Cary Williams gave up a long completion and continues to get picked on regularly. Corey Graham continues to make plays and is likely earning himself a good bit of playing time going into next season. With Williams set to be a free agent, the Ravens might actually save money by letting him walk and just tossing Graham into the lineup. Chykie Brown and Omar Brown also made key contributions, and Ed Reed came very close to recording an interception on several occasions. Grade: B+
Special teams: The coverage units were solid and Jones came very close to breaking a couple of returns. Justin Tucker made all four of his field goals, though none of them were from long range. Grade: B+
Coaching: Give Jim Caldwell and John Harbaugh credit for finally coming up with a gameplan that eased Flacco into the game by getting him some easy completions in the first quarter. Dean Pees continues to do more with less, and it will be interesting to see what he does next year with a full season under his belt and a healthier group of players at his disposal. Harbaugh won a challenge early in the game but then didn't challenge a potential fumble recovery late in the second quarter. He has struggled a lot lately in that area, and it's hurting the Ravens. Give him credit for rallying the troops in the face of a lot of criticism and holding things together. Grade: B
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