3 Takeaways from Giants' Week 6 Win vs. Ravens

If the rest of the NFC didn't take notice of the New York Giants before Sunday, their Week 6 win over the Baltimore Ravens should be a wake-up call.

The Giants continue to deal with injuries—Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Azeez Ojulari were among the Week 6 inactives—but they also continue to string together wins.

Sunday's victory might be the most impressive of their season thus far. Going against Lamar Jackson and a potent Ravens offense, New York played a complete game that resulted in a huge win over a potential contender.

At 5-1, it has become clear that the Giants must be taken seriously.

Here's what else we learned during New York's 24-20 win over the Ravens.

Here's our biggest takeaway from Sunday's game, and really, of the Giants season as a whole: Head coach Brian Daboll is your early coach-of-the-year favorite.

New York hasn't finished above .500 in half a decade, and the former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator has the team on track to push into the postseason.

Has the 47-year-old worked wonders with quarterback Daniel Jones, as many hoped? Not exactly. The Duke product was an efficient enough game manager against Baltimore, finishing 19-of-27 for 173 yards and two touchdowns, but he isn't going to be confused with the likes of Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

What has been impressive is Daboll's ability to keep the team together through injuries, find an offensive spark with few playmakers aside from Saquon Barkley and get his players to believe in themselves.

Statistically, the Giants haven't been overly impressive. They rank 15th in total defense and 25th in total offense. But New York has never carried itself like a team that believes it can't win. This was evident in last week's win over the Green Bay Packers in London and again against Baltimore.

The Ravens were driving with a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter. A Julian Love interception, though, led to a quick Barkley touchdown and the game-winning score.

Once again, the Giants found a way to make plays when it mattered most. That has been a trend under Daboll, and it's going to make New York an extremely dangerous team down the stretch.

It wouldn't be right to credit Daboll and not give a nod to defensive coordinator Don Martindale. He crafted a spectacular defensive game plan against Baltimore, which also happens to be his former team.

The 59-year-old served as the Ravens' defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021. Familiar with their offense and Jackson's tendencies, he created just enough havoc to get the win.

Statistically, this wasn't one of New York's best defensive performances. The Giants were gashed for 211 yards on the ground and 8.8 yards per carry. But New York got after Jackson, sacking him twice and forcing two late turnovers that sealed the game.

The Baltimore quarterback finished 17-of-32 for 210 yards, a touchdown and a pick.

Martindale's defense has overachieved all season, though, despite what the raw numbers might say. While the Giants rank 15th in yards allowed, they rank seventh in points allowed, which is what ultimately matters

After a largely successful tenure with the Ravens, he welcomed the challenge of helping to turn the Giants around.

"I knew there was going to be a lot of movement in the NFL, and it has reenergized me to go someplace new and try to build it again," Martindale told reporters.

The longtime coach is delivering a defense that might give up yards, but he knows exactly when and how to make game-changing plays.

Perhaps no game-changing play stood out on Sunday more than Kayvon Thibodeaux's critical strip-sack on Baltimore's final drive.

The Ravens had one final chance to avoid the upset. With just over 90 seconds remaining, the rookie first-round pick swerved around the Baltimore line, found Jackson and dislodged the football, which was recovered by Leonard Williams.

Giants ball. Game over.

This was just the sort of game-altering play New York envisioned when it selected Thibodeaux with the No. 5 pick in April.

It's taken some time for the Oregon product to deliver because he dealt with an MCL sprain to open the season, but his first career sack was a monumental one.

"This is what they pay me to be here for," Thibodeaux said, per Steve Serby of the New York Post.

Expect this to be the first of many highlight-reel plays for the 21-year-old.