The Ravens are in the midst of a three-game slide and are hungry to end the skid with just two games left in the regular season.
With a victory over the New York Giants this week, the Ravens would win the AFC North and have a chance to pick up some momentum heading into the playoffs.
"We have to go win a game against the Giants next Sunday," linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo said. "It's going to be a battle next week and we have to go get it done."
The Giants, however, might be just as hungry for a win.
The defending Super Bowl champions are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. They still control their own destiny in the NFC East, but need to win their final two games to win the division and guarantee they make the playoffs. "We really have no room for error right now," defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora told the New York Times.
Like the Ravens, the Giants are also coming off a lopsided Week 15 loss.
The Giants lost 34-0 to the Atlanta Falcons, while the Ravens fell 34-17 to the Denver Broncos, making the Week 16 showdown critical for both teams looking to rebound.
"After [Sunday's] performance, we've got a lot of questions to answer," Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck said. "I wish had some red shoes, and I could wish myself right to next Sunday."
Sunday's 4:25 p.m. kickoff can't come soon enough for either team, who are both looking to put last week's losses in the rearview mirror and get their seasons back on track.
"I'm sure they probably feel hot after what they did in Atlanta," safety Ed Reed said. "It's going to be tough. We knew it was going to be tough. We knew this stretch was going to be tough."
