December football can lead to epic matchups, and we most definitely have one here as the Dolphins travel to Baltimore to play the AFC leading (12-3) Baltimore Ravens. The last time we played the Ravens in Baltimore was that wild 4th quarter comeback win, generated by QB Tua Tagovailoa in which the Dolphins scored 28 4th quarter points to knock off the Ravens 42-38. The Dolphins were down 35-14 to begin the 4th quarter. After the game, pundits and commentators alike made excuses for the Ravens who had an injury riddled secondary. I never hear those same excuses and concessions when we’re playing without 4/5 of our starting Offensive Line, but so be it.
This is a very difficult game to predict, but I don’t think the scoring total goes anywhere near last year’s wild shootout. While the Dolphins defense overall has allowed 20.9 points per game, over the last 8 games the Dolphins defense has been better, allowing only 15.8 points per game. Conversely, the Ravens defense overall is allowing only 16.3 points per game, but over the last 8 games, the Ravens have allowed 18.3 points per game. I think our defense has often been the better unit. While our offense overall has scored 30.9 points per game, we’re scoring 27.8 points per game over the last 8 games. Defense wins championships, and we’re going to need to rely on our defense to beat the Ravens.
We all know we have injuries littering our roster, but despite playing with 4 different O-line starters, we’re still getting it done. RG Robert Hunt’s status is still up in the air. WR Jaylen Waddle is OUT, which means there will probably be a combination of Robbie Chosen, Chase Claypool, Cedrick Wilson and Braxton Berrios to replace Waddle. Wilson has been getting a fair amount of targets in the last few games, but I think the run game will be the key for us. The Ravens have allowed 1551 yards rushing, while our defense is more stingy at 1362 yards. We’re going to have 4 RB’s active, Mostert, Achane, Wilson and Brooks plus FB Alec Ingold. Like I’ve mentioned on the blog, I don’t really have a good idea of how this game will play out, but I won’t be surprised if it’s a lower scoring game, both teams under 30 points each, and that we run the ball a fair amount, more than we throw.
I’m amazed at how good the O-line has been considering we’re playing without our starting LG Isaiah Wynn (IR), starting OC (Connor Williams (IR), starting RG Robert Hunt (QUESTIONABLE), and starting RT Austin Jackson (QUESTIONABLE). OG Lester Cotton filled in admirably, as did OG Robert Jones who played his best game of the season at RG. Liam Eichenberg has quietly become a very valuable player, perhaps becoming our future OC. What an amazing turnaround for Eichenberg who was drafted as an OT/G, failed at both positions early on in his career, but played better at OG this season as it went on, and now is succeeding at playing C after starter Connor Williams went down for the season in Game 9 against the Chargers. Besides Eichenberg, both swing tackles have been invaluable, Kendall Lamm who played RT with starter Austin Jackson out and Kion Smith who stepped in played LT plenty of times to replace oft injured LT Terron Armstead. To Armstead’s credit, he plays through injuries and has done his best to stay on the field despite his body failing him.
I think we all know this game is a huge one, I look at this as playoff game #1. December, which has annually been a time this team has fallen out of contention is different this year with our Dolphins at 3-1 in December in 2023. The Ravens being the #1 seed in the AFC couldn’t be tougher team to face, especially in their house. QB Lamar Jackson is a game changer, the most talented, most dangerous guy on the field. In my opinion, as he goes, the Ravens go. This is not so with the Miami Dolphins. Tua can have an average day and the Dolphins can win, but the Ravens live and die with Lamar Jackson. Jackson doesn’t turn the ball over much at all with a 1.6 INT %, less than our own careful QB Tua Tagovailoa at 2.0%. Jackson has thrown 19 TD’s against only 7 INT’s. The big difference though is Lamar Jackson who also has 786 yards rushing and 5 rushing TD’s. For reference, Jackson leads the Ravens in rushing yards ahead of their 2nd leading rusher big back Gus Edwards with 694 yards. Edwards is the big goal line threat though with 12 rushing TD’s. It’s a difficult task to control Lamar Jackson, when the pass rush is too aggressive and unsuccessful, he can feast through the air or escape and pick up huge chunks of yards. I think it’s paramount that we stop Gus Edwards. They no longer have their version of De’Von Achane in RB Keaton Mitchell, who tore his ACL and is out for the season. Contain the run game, and when you get your hands on Lamar Jackson, take him down, or else! Easier said than done!
I think all our backs, even seldom used RB Chris Brooks may get some action today. With Waddle OUT, I’m not sure we have a WR that’s going to step up and replace him adequately. The O-line has been run blocking well, and I think that’s how we’re going to roll Sunday afternoon. NFL playoff games are usually close to the vest affairs, I expect that to be the case for this game. Once again, the Ravens run defense isn’t their strength, their pass rush is. Quick passing of course offsets a strong pass rush, and that’s how our offense is designed and how our QB Tua Tagovailoa is most comfortable operating. Make him hold the ball, and we’ve seen some ugly. Running effectively opens up the pass game so we need to run the ball well. I look forward to watching this game, I think we’re up to the task, I don’t feel like this game or team is too much for us. I look forward to our team putting an exclamation on this season by taking down the big and bad Ravens in their house.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
No catch
If we are going to play like this on D . Come the fuck on
Ugh!!! Can’t let them convert 3rd and 18
Ravens shredding us via the pass
That’s what happens when you don’t get pressure.😉
Too scared of Jackson running
Nah we’re not beating blocks.
I really think we should blitz more this game.
X must be hurt. Apple is in there
Riley basically picked himself on that play
That may have been the worst defense series I’ve ever seen. The Ravens moved the ball about 175 yards that drive…with ease
They made it look just as easy to score. Yikes!
You can be sure the Ravens defense will tighten up. Hope that ours can too, because that was awful.
Still looked like a pick route
Nope. Riley ran into it that time. He took a bad angle
I saw Ramsey talking to Holland. Wonder if he’s rusty and not communicating because the secondary looked lost that entire drive .
Wondered the same thing
Receivers running wide open that whole drive
WIDE open.
Another 38-35 game? 😡
If they’re gonna play the LBers in shadow mode to protect against Lamar scrambling then our DL has to start getting more pressure.
Fuuuuuuuck. X out
Use your block Achane, and you score.
Right, why didn’t he cut back inside?
WTF hill?
That’s was a killer bobble by Hill. That cost us four points
Such a big drop
You can’t fuck up like that on the road against the best team in the AFC. Come on D
Gotta be kidding . . . Hill can’t drop that
Seems like everyone’s got nerves going on with the impact of this game. They need to settle down and remember they are 2-0 against them in the last 2 games.
Thanks for all the good wishes folks. Great start to this game on the road.
We’re moving the ball and we’ve got it back. So far so good
Feel better soon UK!
UK,
Heal up quick!
Come on let’s take a two possession lead.🙂
We can’t go three and out here after a good defensive series . Need to at least flip the field.
It’s a heavyweight fight.
We’re killing ourselves, I don’t know what you’re watching.
Whatever man. The Ravens are a really good team in case you haven’t noticed.🙄
Fuck! Seiler hurt
Great. Sieler hurt
Hopefully just a stinger
Ravens grinding now but watch out for a big pass play
STFU Harbaugh!!!
No shit. He was whining earlier about a clear penalty on that pick play.
This defense looks like a sack of shit
Jackson has too much time and our tackling isn’t getting there
MM going to lose yet another challenge
As night follows day
The Ravens are a great team. Does the Ravens D look like a sack of shit?
No Mike, our offense looks good 😉
We’re getting pushed around on defense. Can’t let them run on you and get no pressure on the QB.
Really hope our defense can play better in the 2nd half because the Ravens are doing whatever they want
If they don’t we aren’t going to win this game
They ran the ball that whole drive and didn’t have to run a single 3rd down play.
We have so many guys out, this defense has done well most of the year considering. The Ravens have a big, physical O-line and a huge fucking FB. Now we have Xavien Howard out too. It’s going to be difficult
The ravens have a bunch out too. No excuses. They have to get it done. If they want to be great, great teams find a way.
Well that was a slap in the mouth. Let’s see how we respond.
Did anyone expect us to blow the Ravens out? Come on, man!!!! They’re the top seed at home. We have to steal this game.
Huge catch by Smythe
Tua’s not being patient.
Seems to me Tua is throwing to places that guys should be and they haven’t been there. I tend to think the receiver is at fault.
Fucking A, what a balsy throw
Wow. What a great pass. I didn’t love them going for it!
Great. I bet Hill landed wrong on that ankle.
Hill hurt.
Ravens have a chance to get two possession for one and really take control of this game. Defense needs to step up on this drive or the opener of the 3rd quarter for us to stay in it.
D needs to hold them here and go in down by one .
1 point game on the road. OK. Can’t be letting them score here though.
Looked to me like Tyreek got kicked on that last incompletion
That TD drop by Hill was so massive
Yup. Well he chasing those points all game.
Well, at least we get another possession.
This D has been pathetic
That’s the Lamar effect
Yes Mike, our D is playing like a sack of shit
Well, X is out, and we have Eli Apple out there now. Sucks!
They need to figure it out. Put Kader out there. Someone.
WTF?!!!
I think our offense has performed admirably considering the pieces we’re missing. The defense has been pure garbage. We can’t stop the run and are letting Ravens receivers run wide open at all levels of the field.
I’m not sure what is going on with our secondary, but it’s really bad.
Not sure. Eli Apple is in, Holland hasn’t played in a month. X is OUT
Offense needs to score a TD here . Need to keep them close, especially since they are getting the ball back to start the 2nd.
The Ravens receivers have been running wide open all game.
Fucking Berrios. That was going out of bounds!!!!!!
Beer
If Berrios lets that go out of bounds we get it at the 40, smh.
Beer me. Finally!!!
Offense needs to keep us in the game
Here we go
The Ravens are targeting Riley big time.
Why the hell are you in such a hurry to get a play off there? You have way more time than you need anyway. SMH
WHY RUSH THAT? We wanted to run the clock anyway. STUPID
That is probably the game.
Oh well, I expected to get blown out anyway.
Yep. We’ve seen this film before. Here comes the avalanche.
There was absolutely NO FUCKING REASON to rush that play. None.
Fuck!!!
We did the same thing against Dallas. Rushed a play to get it off before the 2 minute warning and wasted a play. It was incomplete last game, and just a shitty play this time
And it was as unnecessary then as it was this game because we should have been trying to run clock.
And there’s your game
And here is the team we all know. Fucking chokers
Wow!!!
Heck, Ravens could still stop the clock 3 times and get the ball back
This team isn’t going to do shit this year in the playoffs. We will be a wild card team on the road after we lose the division to Buffalo next week. Book it.
This team hasn’t learned how to win big games yet. The Ravens are gonna be run heavy in the second half. Can we stop them?
They won’t be run heavy- they are carving us up through the air and will continue to do that.
And Tim, this is exactly why I can’t get too excited about this team. They just disappoint year after year.
You guys are rough. I guess I understand the long time pent up frustration. Roquan made a really nice play. Now we need another magical comeback. We’re not done yet. Just remember this Ravens team is the AFC favorite to go to the Super Bowl for a reason, and as good as we are in our house, they’re better in theirs
This is exactly what I expected to happen.
That’s fine, but I don’t think we’re choking, I think we’re just being outplayed, which is very different. We needed our complete team and a Herculean effort. We don’t have our complete team, but I think the effort is there
Semantics
Being outplayed
Not playing as good as we’re capable of because we’re choking
You can call it whatever you want and however you see it; it amounts to the same thing- getting our ass whipped in a big game…again.
What pisses me off the most about this, is we’ve kept Jackson mostly in the pocket. He’s beating us as a pocket passer.
Brian,
They have a huge lead, and they’ve been running the ball on us with ease. Harbaugh will start running the ball and burning clock if he goes into the second half with a 15 point lead.
They may come out throwing some on the 1st drive, but after they score, it’ll be a lot of running it down our throats.
True, I expect them to throw a bunch though,
A poor challenge by MM costs us here
That was damned near an INT
Wow, that’s offensive PI?
Of course it’s offense PI. Why would we end in a good note.
WTF? Wilson just ran straight?
Should be 28-17
Kong – reply for you up above
I replied.
Zappe has thrown 3 INT’s in the first half for the Pats and they are only down 20-14 to the Bills.
Including a pick 6 for the Bills
Alright, we need some big plays to climb back into this game. The defense needs a good talking too, especially the coverage communication.
Pats have 4 turnovers in the first half and only down 20-14 at halftime.
Brian, I already told you how I view all of this. I’m still enjoying the possibilities. We’ve already made the playoffs.🙂
Secondary to include LB’s in coverage are getting torched. Mainly due to Jackson getting way too much time.
Don’t see a miracle comeback at all. I am sure that is what the Ravens are talking about right now during halftime. They get the ball first and won’t look back is my feeling.
No way they let us come back again
Kong – I think we’re playing as well as we can with what we’ve got. Did the Niners choke last week? This Ravens team is good. I was not expecting to not have Mostert and then lose X, in addition to not having Waddle, Hunt and others. Add in we’re playing a great team that doesn’t lose in their house, especially in December. Odds were stacked against us and they got compounded with X going out
^
You think we’re playing as well as we can?
When Hill drops an easy TD that would have put us up 7 points?
When we are driving to tie it and Tua throws a stupid pick rushing a play that didn’t need to be rushed? That allows the Ravens to go up two scores.
When we have had numerous miscommunications in the secondary?
I think we haven’t even remotely played our best. If we played our best, this would be a close game. And if we lost that game, I could live with it.
The Ravens are missing their best defensive player. Every team deals with injuries this time of year. No excuse for getting dominated…which we are.
What is the injury/status on X?
The Ravens secondary is getting thin and we need to exploit that.
Nice fucking start to the second half
Yeah, that’s playing our best. smh
Fangio getting schooled
We’ve lost both starting guards and our starting Center.
We’ve lost 2 thousand-yard offensive players.
We’ve lost Phillips and and Baker and Xavien.
I feel like I am rewatching Georgia vs FSU.