The Giants rushing attack has been the most dominant force in the NFL this season. The trio of running backs refer to themselves as "Earth, Wind, and Fire", and indeed, they put on a show against Ray Lewis and the vaunted rush defense of the Baltimore Ravens.
We saw Brandon "Juggernaut" Jacobs go for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter alone. Then Derrick Ward control most of the game in his understated fashion (led the team in catches Sunday). And finally close out with Ahmad Bradshaw coming a couple yards shy of an 80-yard touchdown run.
In contrast, looking to Baltimore's side of the field, one can't help but wonder if Willis McGahee, the Ravens Pro Bowl running back, would even make the band if he were on the Giants.
Don't get me wrong, McGahee isn't a bad running back; but he's certainly no Brandon Jacobs.
And by the looks of things he might not even be Derrick Ward or Ahmad Bradshaw.
Which is sort of interesting because McGahee went to the Pro Bowl last year, and is one of the highest paid running backs in the league. The Ravens traded two 2007 draft picks (3rd and 7th), as well as a 2008 3rd rounder to acquire him and subsequently hand him that big contract; some thought it was a steal of a deal for them.
Meanwhile, Jacobs was a 4th round selection in 2005. Bradshaw was taken in the 7th round in 2007. (Derrick Ward was plucked off the Jets practice squad, but he was also a 7th round pick.) So theoretically you could have traded McGahee for Jacobs and Bradshaw, and still had another quality draft pick waiting for you.
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Admittedly, it's a bit of a stretch to compare the draft picks etc. literally, but it underscores the bang-for-the-buck the Giants are getting versus Baltimore.
Both teams are constructed around the same model: traditional, grind-it-out hard-nose football; power running game, good defense. The Ravens, however, are bringing more marquee names than talent. They're a little overpriced, while the Giants are, well, better. And this is best symbolized by Baltimore paying rock star prices for someone who might only be a roadie on the other team.
