(Credit: Miami Dolphins)
The Miami Dolphins defeated the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 22-10. This is the Dolphins second-straight win pushing them to 3-7. The Ravens fall to 6-3 with the loss.
This was, by all accounts, the Dolphins best performance all season.
This victory was not a product of a fluky performance, or playing against a terrible team, or a rookie QB in his debut… the Dolphins genuinely outperformed a quality football team. It’s bittersweet because the Dolphins season went too far south early on – but it shows that there was the potential on the roster for a performance like this all season.
The Dolphins defense was strong again in this game.
They held the Ravens to only three points in the first half, and the Dolphins actually entered the second half with a 6-3 lead.
Unfortunately, the offense wasn’t able to match the defense’s production early on, as they only managed two field goals, including a red zone trip that was abruptbly ended on a bad holding call and a screen pass to Adam Shaheen on 2nd and goal from the 20-yard-line. Brutal.
The Dolphins offense managed only 168 yards in the first half, as Jacoby Brissett struggled to get anything going.
In the third quarter, Brissett sustained a knee injury that knocked him out of the game.
Tua Tagovailoa, who was not healthy enough to make the start with a finger fracture, was put in as the replacement.
It appeared initially that Tagovailoa had a noticeable drop off in terms of the velocity on his passes. Outside of a nice downfield bomb to Jaylen Waddle for a gain of 35, there were a lot of throws that floated through the air, or looked wobbly.
Regardless, it’s hard to make the argument that a healthy Brissett was better than the injured Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa would finish the game: 8-for-13, 158 yards, and one rushing touchdown.
One of Tagovailoa’s better passes came on an RPO in busted coverage that left Albert Wilson wide open for a gain of 64. Wilson was ridiculously open, but nonetheless, it was a nice, accurate strong pass from Tagovailoa.
It’s a shame that Tagovailoa could not be at 100% for this game, because it did seem like Miami was connecting on all cylinders, and it would have been fun to see what Miami could have done.
The playcalling was also more exciting, something fans have been clamoring for all season. No play embodied that better (in my opinion,) than a flea flicker on an outside run, which is already bold in itself. On top of that, after the flea flicker, the pass was thrown back to the running back who in this case was Myles Gaskin.
Offensively, Isaiah Ford had a terrific game, reeling in four catches for 84 yards, including a 52 yard reception where he was nearly able to shake some tacklers for a long touchdown.
His energy was evident every time he touched the ball.
Receiver Albert Wilson showed flashes of his 2018 season, totaling 106 yards in this game, including the massive 64 yard catch in the final moments of the game.
Wilson’s ability to turn dead plays into gains was something that many were hoping to see in this season, and while it didn’t come until this game, it goes to show how exciting Wilson can be with the ball in his hands.
Tight end Mike Gesicki led the Dolphins in targets with seven, but did not record a single catch in this game, which was extremely surprising.
One of the biggest plays of the game came via offensive lineman Robert Hunt. Hunt leaped in front of a screen pass and caught a pass himself. Hunt then ran his life away to the end zone, leaping into the end zone while being hit, tumbling in for what would’ve been a touchdown… had Hunt not been… an offensive lineman. Hunt was of course not eligble to receive the pass and it was not ruled a touchdown. Fans on the internet seemed entertained by the play, but Tagovailoa did not seem too in love with the play.
Defensively, what a performance from this Dolphins team.
Lamar Jackson would finish with 208 passing yards and one touchdown, but more impressive was their ability to stop the run and create turnovers.
The Ravens entered this game as the NFL’s No. 2 rushing team, but they finished with only 94 yards rushing. Lamar Jackson was held to only 39 yards and Devonta Freeman was held to 34 yards.
A ton of credit in that regard has to go to players like Christian Wilkins, Elandon Roberts, Andrew Van Ginkel, Zach Sieler and Jerome Baker. Freeman and Jackson are shifty guys, and whether it was due to the lineman blowing up the play as soon as it began, or with the linebackers chasing down the runner to minimize the gain, they played about as good as you can when it comes to stopping the run.
The secondary played terrifically in this game.
Jevon Holland is that guy. The 2020 draft class for Miami has been under a lot of criticism, but the 2021 draft class has been playing lights out.
Holland had five tackles, a sack, and two pass deflections. He also had a massive pass breakup that would have gone for a massive gain. For a physical standpoint, there’s a ton to love about Holland, but when you consider the kind of role Holland has already taken with the team from a leadership standpoint as a rookie, this looks like a homerun.
Jaelan Phillips added another half a sack in this game, chasing down Jackson on a combined sack with AVG.
Xavien Howard is just different. He hasn’t been the lights out player that he was last year, but when he makes plays, they are big plays. In the 4th quarter, Howard forced a fumble on Sammy Watkins, recovered it himself, evaded defenders and returned it for a 49-yard touchdown.
On the Ravens final drive, Justin Coleman leaped in front of the receiver to solidify the win for Miami.
Takeaways:
Whether it’s a good thing, or bad thing, Tua Tagovailoa’s injury held him back in this game. This of course is bad because you never want your starting QB to be restricted due to an injury, but there is some relief in knowing that he could have played better. This wasn’t a game that required him to anything spectacular, and when he needed to hit an open receiver, he did. But at the end of the day, it does look like there is some velocity missing from his passes likely due to the injury, but most fans should be happy to see him fight through it and be a part of this victory.
The Dolphins defense can play at an elite level against an elite offense. We saw the defense fall apart against tougher teams, while they relished in some success against weaker teams. However, after a strong outing against Buffalo, and now completely neutralizing the Ravens, it’s clear this defense has it in them to perform at a high level. With that will come some higher expectations from this group, but it’s great to this unit play at the level we all knew they were capable of.
A full season worth of football like this would be immaculate. It’s moments like this where its easy to see why fans cling on to the good moments, standing by a team that hasn’t been playing well in years, just hoping they can return to success. Watching a team play well, show passion and secure a victory is an addictive feeling, and whether it happens in the near future or not, a full season of the Dolphins playing at a high level will legitimately be the start of a new era.