After having a few days to process the Ravens 34-33 home loss to the Chargers I’ve come to only one conclusion – the Ravens must win in Miami this weekend if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. Of course this didn’t just feel like any other defeat. It was a game that many expected the team to win but it was also one of the biggest fourth-quarter collapses in Baltimore Ravens’ history and at home no less.
(Discuss this on the BSL Board here.)
Sure, there might be some scenario where mathematically the Ravens could still be alive even with a road loss this weekend but that relies on other teams stumbling as well. You want to control your own destiny when it comes to your playoff fortunes and that means winning ball games. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Ravens have a 33% chance of making the post-season and those numbers would definitely increase with another victory.
There are currently eleven teams in the AFC with seven wins are more. That gives each loss even more weight and since Miami sports the same record as Baltimore and will have home field this Sunday the stakes are high for both teams in the playoff race.
Here are more random thoughts:
- Who do you think the worst offensive lineman has been this season on the Ravens? Did you say Eugene Monroe? Did you say it immediately with little or no hestiation like I just typed it? Yeah, that’s not good. It certainly isn’t what the top brass expected when they dished out an $11 million dollar signing bonus to the ex-Jaguar. He gets little push in the run game and often struggles in pass protection. He allowed too much pressure from his assignment last week and currently leads the line with 7 penalties. If I’m Marshal Yanda I may want a raise since Monroe is making about $1.1 more in average salary.
- Even with Monroe’s issues the line did a solid job in the run game and in keeping Joe Flacco upright. Flacco’s play is key to the team’s playoff hopes and against the Chargers he played very well though you won’t hear many say or write about it. Flacco was at his best when not pressured; he completed 13 of 18 passes for 178 yards and threw both his touchdowns, the first of which was an absolute dart.
- Gary Kubiak’s offense has been an unqualified success this season as the team ranks among the top fifteen in production but he needs to integrate a few more pieces that would help in key situations. Lorenzo Taliaferro should be getting short yardage carries – end of discussion. I know he fumbled – once but he gives you a better chance than Bernard Pierce within the twenty. The same can be said for Marlon Brown. We all realized that his snaps would take a hit this year but at 6’5″ he could be a useful weapon in the red zone.
- The Dolphins currently hold the final playoff spot with four games remaining and would return to the post-season for the first time since 2008. They have a golden opportunity in that three of those last four are at home.
- The Miami run defense has been struggling as of late. The Dolphins, who ranked fourth against the run earlier this season, have slid to 21st, after surrendering 202 yards to Denver and 277 to a bad Jets team. That’s good news for Baltimore fans as the team continues to get strong play from Justin Forsett who leads all NFL running backs in average yards per carry, at 5.6.
- Ryan Tannehill’s performance on Monday wasn’t pretty but it was good enough to beat the hapless Jets. He threw for 235 yards and one interception with no touchdowns to compile mediocre rating of 77.7. Tannehill is 5-2 in his last seven starts but will need to play better if his team hopes to play into January.
- A win is a win, right? Prior to Monday, Miami was 0-3 in games decided by four points or less. Two of those three losses came on the final defensive play. So while we may see their 16-13 win over a poor team in the Jets as a sign of hope, Fins fans look at it as a way of getting the victory even if you don’t play your best.
Matt has lived in Maryland his entire life and is a graduate of Calvert Hall and Towson University. has always been an avid Baltimore sports fan. Since 2007, he has been writing and talking about Baltimore sports, especially the Ravens. His work has appeared on Ravens Gab, Russell Street Report, and he currently co-hosts a podcast “The Blitz- A Ravens podcast” with Brent Harris.