Officially at the halfway point of the season, the Baltimore Ravens are exactly where they need to be.
First place in the division and within an arm’s reach of the AFC’s top spot. The Ravens are getting key players back this week as well, as Nick Boyle and Ben Cleveland are now on the way back to being active on gameday.
Boyle is now on the active roster, though his debut Thursday isn’t a lock. Cleveland has three weeks to be moved to the active roster or go to season-ending IR, which is likely to trend toward the former as the team wouldn’t make this move if there wasn’t a reasonable chance he could get back to full health within that 3-week window.
NFL rosters, post-bye, are always scattered with injuries. That said, the teams that can maintain pressure on their opponent and impose their will are the teams that advance the farthest in the playoffs.
Make no mistake, this Ravens team—injuries and all—is built for just that.
First, though, they head to Miami to face the Dolphins on a short week. Baltimore ran nearly 100 offensive plays on Sunday, and now they have a road game against a Dolphins team with nothing to lose. Yes, the Ravens will be favored, but this is the NFL. As we saw last night on Monday Night Football, logic and pro football don’t always mix.
Here are three ways the Ravens can beat the Dolphins on Thursday Night.
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Start fast
So far this season, Baltimore is 1-0 in the 11th month of the year, with games at Miami, at Chicago, and versus Cleveland to follow.
The Ravens want to get out to a fast start and not have to come from behind. Of course, they don’t plan on turning the ball over and giving up big plays on defense, but it’s worth mentioning that when they do get off to a fast start—like, Week 1 of 2019 at Miami when they scored four touchdowns in the first 16:11 of the game—their powerful running attack becomes even more potent.
Another benefit to establishing and maintaining a big lead is that it allows for some valuable rest for starters that will have played a lot of football in a short period of time.
Lastly, a fast start will remind the Dolphins of how big of a mountain they must climb. They are fighters, but many of their fights have gone their opponents’ way this season. In their nine games this year, Miami has only been blown out in two of them—against Super Bowl contenders Buffalo and Tampa Bay. Though they lost seven straight, they were competitive with—let’s be honest—not the most talented roster in the league.
The longer two teams that are headed in different directions play competitively, the better it is for the underdog.
Run, run, run, and run some more
The last time these two teams played was in Week 1 of the 2019 season. As many remember, it was a boat race in favor of Baltimore.
A big reason the Ravens put that game away was because of their ground game. On that day, Baltimore out-rushed Miami 265-21. When a game is that one-sided, it’s almost impossible for the other team to keep things respectable, much less challenge for a win.
Especially with the chance of Nick Boyle returning, it would behoove Baltimore to pound the Dolphins on the ground. They ought to keep doing what they’re doing, as it’s said, and continue their ground dominance.
Since the beginning of 2019, the Ravens are 16-2 in games when they rush for at least 200 yards. They have the infrastructure and temperament to run the Dolphins into the ground on Thursday night.
Contain Waddle
If Miami has a chance, they ought to pepper rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with targets, early and often. He’s catching 72 percent of his targets for an average of 55 yards per game, so teams have generally kept him in check. While Waddle’s game-breaking speed has also been dampened by Miami’s play-calling, the Ravens have shown vulnerability to the deep ball in a big way in recent weeks.
Especially with the loss of Safety DeShon Elliott, I assure you keeping Waddle in check will be a point of emphasis for the Ravens defense this week.
Vegas
The Ravens are solid favorites this week, as they’re favored by 7 ½ points against the Dolphins. The over/under is set at 46 points. For a road team to be favored by a touchdown is substantial. Even if the sharps think a favorite will win by three touchdowns, they set the line based on what they think will attract the most action.
It’s hard for me to see a way in which the Dolphins keep this close. They’re suffering from injuries just like the Ravens, but they have two wins whereas the Ravens have two losses. That plays a big part in a person’s motivation to persevere.
This Baltimore group has been battle-tested in tough primetime and playoff games, while this Miami group has not.
Prediction: Ravens 41, Dolphins 13
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.