It’s quite impressive that the Ravens are just two games away from leading the AFC North, especially considering the rough patch they hit when Lamar Jackson suffered a hamstring injury about five weeks ago.
They broke a four-game losing streak by managing to beat Chicago with Tyler Huntley stepping in as quarterback. Huntley proved to be a real asset, making some exciting plays both in the air and on the ground, which opened up some scoring opportunities for Baltimore.
Now, with Jackson back in action and aiming for a playoff spot, the Ravens are heading into a matchup against the Dolphins, who have been struggling defensively, allowing the second-most yards per play at 5.9. This could be quite a game for Jackson, who has dealt with significant rushing yard losses and hasn’t been pressured much.
On a related note, the Ravens have consistently scored at least 30 points in seven of Jackson’s recent eight starts. His ability to move around really enhances the run game, making it tricky for defenses to stay tight.
This presents a challenge for Derrick Henry, who recently returned to form with 71 yards and two touchdowns versus Chicago. Miami hasn’t fared well against physical runners this season, often failing on gap discipline and resorting to dropping defenders back to handle a weak secondary.
Miami, which also has just two wins, managed to snap a three-game skid. Coach Mike McDaniel has been under fire this month due to issues with maintaining leads and overall discipline on the field.
However, he seemed to find his footing last week by introducing more pre-snap movement, which helped free up receivers like Jaylen Waddle, who snagged a 43-yard score. Tua Tagovailoa’s performance also returned to form, leading to four touchdowns while keeping Atlanta’s pass rush at bay.
Now, Tagovailoa faces a Ravens defense that hasn’t been great at generating pressure; they’ve got a low 14.1 percent pressure rate. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 68.1 percent of their passes against them, which is, frankly, pretty poor and not typical for this franchise in the last decade.
Conversely, Miami’s own completion rate is sitting at a league-low 73.7 percent.
Expect both teams’ defensive weaknesses to come to light in this matchup. Baltimore struggles with opponents capitalizing in the red zone and converting on third downs, while Miami seems unable to force turnovers.
It will be interesting to see how the Ravens’ run-heavy approach competes against Miami’s speedy offense. While the point spread for “Thursday Night Football” seems high, the Dolphins have consistently gone over in their last nine home games, and the Ravens show a 6-1 trend this season in terms of scoring.
It feels like this trend might continue as both teams work to reclaim their identities.
