Lamar Jackson dominates in return game as the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Miami Dolphins 28-6 on Thursday Night Football
The Ravens' defense forces three takeaways while the offense scores four touchdowns in the win.
The Ravens got down to business on Thursday Night Football in a 22-point win over the Miami Dolphins. Miami dominated Baltimore in the first half, controlling almost 2/3 of the clock while more than doubling their yardage. But the Ravens made big plays and led 14-6, and that bled into a strong second half. Lamar Jackson is back and emphasized so with four touchdown passes and a passer rating above 143.0. The Ravens defense also came to play, making it three straight games where Baltimore hasn’t allowed more than seventeen points.
Here are the main takeaways from Baltimore’s TNF win.
Immediate Reaction
The Ravens have some problems. I know that sounds like a damper way to break down Baltimore’s three-score win, but it reigned true. Baltimore didn’t play a good game on a short week, and were forced to make big plays to compensate for their own mistakes. And when they couldn’t, Miami shot themselves in the foot. They had a bevy of offensive miscues and mishaps, which included a miscommunication on a fourth down attempt in Baltimore territory, as well as a false start penalty just before a fourth down attempt; Miami would then miss a 35-yard field goal the play after.
Even given the score, fans learned a lot more about Miami in this game than Baltimore. The Dolphins controlled the tempo for most of the contest, totaled over 400 yards of offense and couldn’t score a touchdown. Some could argue the result was more so indicative of Miami’s shortcomings than Baltimore’s strides.
But a win is a win, and those have been hard to come by for Baltimore this year. To play as poorly as they did defensively but yet make up for it with red zone stops, takeaways, and a bend-but-don’t-break approach that paved way for the offense is quite impressive, and identifies a clear shift from where this team was just a few weeks ago, where mistakes led to more mistakes. That spiraling effect wasn’t on display on Thursday.
I also felt that the offense had their imperfections but prevailed. Derrick Henry didn’t have a great game, but he found a way to have a good game. Jackson was still clearly hampered by a hamstring injury that kept him on the sideline for three games, yet played ahead of the sticks, was composed in the pocket and threw four touchdown passes.
This was perhaps the worst three-touchdown win I’ve seen, but the result says enough: Baltimore isn’t one of the NFL’s worst teams unlike common belief after their 1-5 start. The Ravens aren’t the best of the worst, but maybe the worst of the best, which should keep them in the playoff hunt given their upcoming schedule.
Positional Grades
Quarterbacks: B+
On Thursday, we learned a lot about Lamar Jackson. In this game, Lamar started off slow, and it felt he was almost easing his way back into game form in the first half. But he figured things out, and finished with a really strong performance. What stood out most was his calmness and comfort in the pocket. I thought his pocket presence was better than it’s ever been, which felt important given the fact that Jackson was limited as a runner. Whether it was a byproduct of his offensive line or because he’s been nursing a hamstring injury or because he’ll turn 29 in January, Lamar was less explosive as a runner, and took off just twice. But he still felt agile enough to get by defenders, and was incredible as a passer. 18-of-23 for 204 yards and four passing touchdowns is unreal, and he set season-highs in completion percentage and passer rating. While his receivers created great lengths of separation, Lamar also fit throws into tight windows. Over his past 20 games, Jackson now has marks in adjusted yards per attempt, passer rating, and touchdown rate that would set records in a single season, and he has 57 total touchdowns and just five interceptions in this span.
Lamar’s back, and it’s crazy that this performance for most of the game felt almost underwhelming for a quarterback who fans are accustomed to seeing play at a historic level.
Running Backs: B
This game almost felt like the opposite of Week 8 against Chicago for Derrick Henry. In that game, Henry’s impact on the offense was prominent, as Baltimore had five drives of 50+ yards. However, he only finished with 71 yards. Meanwhile, in this game, Henry had 119 yards on 19 carries—a 6.3 yards per carry average that was his highest since Week 1—but it didn’t feel like he was the overwhelming force we’ve seen before. In fact, extracting a few strong carries, Henry’s average again dipped under four yards per carry. But the fact that his total went above 115 signifies that he wore down the defense, and it was good to see him get going in the final few drives. The Ravens again got Keaton Mitchell involved which was a plus, but it was too predictable. Mitchell only played 10 snaps but had five touches, and elite defensive minds could start to catch on. Justice Hill only had one carry and caught two passes for 13 yards.
Wide Receivers: C
The Ravens receivers were alright in this game. Zay Flowers had a good game on the stat sheet with five catches for 64 yards, though most of his yardage came off of a 39-yard reception. He did a better job of taking guaranteed yardage when given the chance instead of moving laterally to try to make a bigger play, which was my biggest critique after his performance against Chicago. Rashod Bateman was the only other wideout to catch a pass, grabbing two receptions for 13 yards and a touchdown. We’ll start to see Bateman get going with Jackson back in the lineup. DeAndre Hopkins received one target though didn’t catch a pass; I also expect his usage to increase as Jackson gets re-acclimated, too. Overall, the wideouts did a good job creating 3+ yards of separation from defenders consistently, though that could be a byproduct of Miami’s depleted secondary.
Tight Ends: A+
Never seen such an even split from the tight ends. Isaiah Likely played 59% of the snaps, Mark Andrews played 50% of the snaps, and Charlie Kolar played 46% of the snaps. All of them got involved in this matchup. Andrews was again Jackson’s security blanket, catching two touchdown passes on two grabs of 22 yards. Isaiah Likely had, by a wide margin, his best game of the season with three catches for 60 yards, which included “vintage Likely,” when he caught a pass of 35 yards on a ‘scramble drill’ from Jackson. Kolar—who I mentioned should become a focal point of the offense during the preseason—has certainly become a component, catching a touchdown for a second consecutive game. Kolar’s emergence certainly alleviates concerns for Baltimore this offseason, when both Andrews and Likely become free agents.
Fullbacks: D
This was the first game of the season where Patrick Ricard was a true resource at Baltimore’s disposal since returning from a calf injury, though he was visibly struggling, particularly in the first half. Henry struggled to get chunk gains consistently when following his fullback, who missed multiple blocks. Jackson’s biggest sack came when Ricard was blown past by defenders. It was certainly not the Ricard fans grew accustomed to last year, when he was selected as a First Team All-Pro. The rushing attack should become more dependable if/when Ricard improves as the lead run blocker. For now, a variety of tight ends continue to try and fill the void.
Offensive Line: C+
Given their performances in the first six weeks, the offensive line has certainly made strides towards improvement since the bye week, though they’re still far from where they need to be. Jackson was sacked twice for a loss of 16 yards, and the offensive line did a good job of minimizing Jackson’s scrambles. Coming off of a hamstring injury, Lamar certainly looked a step slow, though he was pressured on only 37% of dropbacks, his second lowest rate of the season per Next Gen Stats, and his time to throw on average was over three seconds for the first time this season. Left guard Andrew Vorhees was very good, and found a rhythm that Henry caught on to in the second half. Although, Baltimore’s yards before contact on runs was 1.3 yards on-average, well below where it needs to be. Right tackle Roger Rosengarten had another strong game, and center Tyler Linderbaum was graded as Baltimore’s fourth most productive offensive player per PFF. However, Daniel Faalele is still unwatchable. The Ravens played well, though it also came against the Dolphins who have one of the league’s worst pass rushes and entered the game 28th against the run.
Defensive Line + Outside Linebackers: C+
Career-high six tackles for Travis Jones on Thursday night, and Jones has officially become an anchor in the interior at nose tackle. In year four, Jones is setting himself up for a lucrative extension this spring. John Jenkins was also a contributor to stopping the run. The Ravens kept Miami in check on the ground, giving up just 87 yards on 20 carries. Their pass rush also saw more success, collecting two sacks where four players contributed to the damage. Jones had a half sack, as did Brent Urban on a takedown; it was his first sack in almost two years. Edge rusher David Ojabo had a half sack, too, as did rookie Mike Green for a second consecutive game. Green didn’t play back in coverage frequently yet again, which allowed him to make more of a difference in the backfield. Kyle Van Noy also had a tackle for loss, and he got more involved. However, there were times when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had all day to throw, and this happens all-too-frequently with Baltimore. The Ravens’ 14% quarterback pressure rate was the lowest Tua has faced all season long by over 10%, which is why he threw over 260 yards for just the second time this season.
Inside Linebackers: B
This was certainly not the performance from the inside linebackers that fans saw just four days earlier against Chicago, but they did enough on Thursday to make an impact. Smith led the team with 12 tackles and nine of which solo as well as a pass defended, though he had a streaky performance. Some plays he made hits and tackles that were strong and overwhelming, while on others he was taken out of the play. Teddye Buchanan, the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Month in October, had another strong performance, which included allowing a passer rating under 57.0 in his time in coverage. He also helped contribute to a forced fumble. Those two continue to dominate the frequency in which they’re on the field, as Smith played 100% of snaps while Buchanan played 67.7% of the snaps, which was actually a season-low. But Trenton Simpson only played eight snaps, and Kyle Hamilton playing in the box has limited Simpson’s production after he had a career-performance ahead of the bye week against the Rams.
Secondary: B-
The Ravens defense forced three turnovers on Thursday for the first time under defensive coordinator Zach Orr, and all three came from the secondary. Alohi Gilman’s forced fumble and recovery on Tahj Washington deep in Miami territory altered the trajectory of the game. The Ravens punched in a touchdown and never lost the lead. Gilman has been an incredible addition, and while Odafe Oweh has done a superb job with the Chargers, Gilman has given Baltimore’s secondary more flexibility, and been a vital part of its turnaround. It reminds me a lot of Baltimore’s trade to bring in Tre’Davious White at least year’s deadline, a move that allowed Baltimore to move Marlon Humphrey back into the slot and turn things around defensively. Hamilton had another good game and made plays all over the field. Humphrey forced a fumble and played well in coverage in the first half, though was picked on late, allowing five catches for 64 yards. Safety Malaki Starks had his best game in the pros, making plays on deep opportunities as well as recording his first career interception. Overall, Tua threw for over 260 yards but did so on 40 attempts. This type of performance in the secondary, however, needs to be replicated against higher level throwers.
Special Teams: A
The Ravens put it all together on special teams on Thursday night. Jordan Stout continued his career-season in year four with six punts for 336 yards, which included a 64-yard punt and four punts pinned inside the 20. This allowed Baltimore to stay ahead despite some offensive mishaps in the first half. Tyler Loop had a bad opening kickoff that kickstarted Miami’s drive at their own 40-yard line, though his proceeding kickoffs weren’t as detrimental. He also made all four of his extra points. The Ravens didn’t allow any big returns, while punt returner LaJohntay Wester had a pretty 17-yard return. On kickoff returns, Rasheen Ali lacked the explosiveness to capitalize on holes that were opened throughout the game. Also, Baltimore has seen quite a bit of production from Keondre Jackson. He was penalized in this game on a big Miami return, but has also been the first Raven to the returner and often has made excellent tackles.
Coaching: A
Best game of the season from John Harbaugh on a short week. He certainly out-coached Mike McDaniel on the other side, as his team came to play while McDaniel’s was sloppy with a variety of self-enforced errors that ruined their chance of pulling off an upset. For as un-pleasurable as Baltimore looked in the first half, penalties weren’t much of an issue, and many of their flags came late in the game. He also had a really good challenge on a big reception from running back De’Von Achane that was overturned. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken drew up a strong game plan that allowed Jackson to move around but also get rid of the ball quickly and not absorb the pressure, which proved to be invaluable. Orr is finally starting to find results on third down blitzes that were ineffective in the first few weeks, but have now paid dividends. He again used Hamilton in the box and it worked beautifully, and the Ravens limited every pass catcher but Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa was 0-for-4 on deep pass attempts not targeted to Waddle, and once the Ravens found more success with Nate Wiggins manning the former 1300-yard wideout, Tagovailoa was left with little choices downfield.
What Does This Mean For Baltimore?
As stated before, I think the pendulum has swung too far. Just over a week ago, the Ravens were “dead,” “out of the mix,” and “fraudulent” to the public. Now, the perception of Baltimore after this win is that they are again contenders given their schedule and improved cohesion with Jackson and other defensive starters back on the field. There has to be a gray area.
Was Baltimore ever extremely bad? I don’t think so. They lost three games in their first four with Jackson in the lineup, and they came to the 6-2 Bills on the road, 5-3 Lions and 5-4 Chiefs on the road; all of which are prominent Super Bowl contenders. However, has Baltimore proven that they are good? Absolutely not. They’ve won three games this season against the Browns, Bears, and Dolphins, two of which at home; and this game in Miami where there were more purple jerseys in the stands than not.
The jury is still out on this team. To emphatically state that the identity or legitimacy of this team has been exposed one way or the other is being quite ignorant. They’re 2-3 with Jackson on the field this season, and their defensive resurgence has come against struggling offensive units. Is this story the same if they faced Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes right now? I’d bet not.
However, the Ravens should keep rolling. Now at 3-5, the Ravens have re-entered the mix. They are two games out of a postseason berth as well as an AFC North title after Pittsburgh picked up a win over Indianapolis behind six takeaways that they scored 24 of their 27 points off of. The North is extremely vulnerable and flawed, and Baltimore can take advantage.
The upcoming games read as followed: at Minnesota, at Cleveland, home against the Jets and home against the Bengals. While the Vikings come off of a win in Detroit, and though the Bengals offense has been torching defense after defense with Joe Flacco, I still believe the Ravens will win all of those games as long as Jackson is on the field—even with some of their other issues. At 7-5, Baltimore’s postseason odds would skyrocket to above 80%, and the worries about whether this team could respond would be in the rearview mirror.
Is this team good right now? I have no idea. But with another win and the upcoming victories that are soon to come—as long as Baltimore takes care of business as they should—they’ll have a chance to make the postseason and again be in the hunt. Being “good” on Halloween doesn’t get you anywhere. The Ravens have been the best team in the league in November and December countless times with Jackson at the helm, and it’s left them with a sour taste in their mouths given their 3-6 postseason record since 2018.
The Ravens may not be great right now. But capturing another win gives them a chance to get to January, which is when they actually need to be the best team.
Chase Coburn
Email:
chasecpc@gmail.com
YouTube/Podcasts:
Chase’s Sports News (youtube.com/@csn504)
Social Media:
Instagram — Chase Coburn (chases_sports_news)
X (Twitter) — Chase Coburn (@coolsportskid)
Other Writing Ventures:
The League Winners (theleaguewinners.com/author/chase)
MAAC Manual (maacmanual.substack.com)