Setting the Stage for the Dolphins-Ravens Week 2 Matchup
The Miami Dolphins will look to improve to 2-0 on the season and make it two in a row against the Baltimore Ravens when they take on Lamar Jackson and company at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 2 Dolphins-Ravens matchup:
MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-0) vs. BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-0)
DATE: Sunday, Sept. 18
TIME: 1 p.m. ET
SITE: M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore, Md.
WEATHER FORECAST: The temperature between 1 and 4 p.m. ET in Baltimore will be between 84 and 87 degrees, according to AccuWeather.com, with mostly sunny skies and no rain in the forecast. The wind is expected to be 7 mph with gusts up to 13 mph.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Trent Green (color analyst), Melanie Collins (sidelines)
STREAMING: fuboTV (start your free trial)
SI Sportsbook betting line: Ravens by 3.5 (over/under 44.5)
Dolphins — TE Cethan Carter (concussion) is out; RB Salvon Ahmed (heel), T Terron Armstead (toe), TE Hunter Long (ankle), DT Christian Wilkins (back) and WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. (toe) are listed as questionable.
Ravens — WR James Proche II (groin) and T Ronnie Stanley (ankle) are listed as doubtful; RB J.K. Dobbins (knee), CB Marlon Humphrey (groin), DT Travis Jones (knee), CB Marcus Peters (knee), FB Patrick Ricard (groin) and DB Brandon Stephens (quad) are listed as questionable.
Regular season series history: The Ravens lead 8-7
Last five meetings:
Nov. 11, 2021 at Miami — Dolphins 22, Ravens 10
Sept. 8, 2019 at Miami — Ravens 59, Dolphins 10
Oct. 26, 2017 at Baltimore — Ravens 40, Dolphins 0
Dec. 4, 2016 at Baltimore — Ravens 38, Dolphins 6
Dec. 6, 2015 at Miami — Dolphins 15, Ravens 13
Dolphins' largest margin of victory: 19 (2002 at Miami; Dolphins 26, Ravens 7)
Dolphins' largest margin of defeat: 49 (2019 at Miami; Ravens 59, Dolphins 10)
Highest-scoring matchup: 69 points 49 (2019 at Miami; Ravens 59, Dolphins 10)
Lowest-scoring matchup: 15 points (2003 at Miami; Dolphins 9, Ravens 6)
Former Ravens players with the Dolphins:
DT Zach Sieler (2018-19)
Former Patriots coaches with the Dolphins:
None
Former Dolphins players with the Ravens:
RB Kenyan Drake, T Ja'Wuan James (on IR), O.J. Brigance (as senior advisor to player engagement)
Former Dolphins coaches with the Ravens:
TE coach George Godsey, OLB coach Rob Leonard, Football analyst Jason Brooks
-------------------------------------------------------------------
RAVENS SCOUTING REPORT
The Ravens entered the 2022 season with high hopes after a 2021 season that was derailed by injuries and things started on the right track with a convincing victory against the New York Jets. The big topic of conversation around the team has been the contract situation of 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson in his fourth season. Baltimore solidified its team in the offseason with two first-round picks, safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum, and has blue-chip talent as several spots on the roster. If the Ravens stay healthy, they'll challenge for the AFC North title.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN ...
It's practically impossible for any team to be ravaged by injuries the way the 2021 Ravens were, and but they head into this matchup with a rash of injuries in the secondary with the three players listed as questionable and then adding cornerback Kyle Fuller being placed on IR earlier this week. With the speed the Dolphins have assembled at wide receiver, led by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, no team wants to face Miami with health issues at cornerback, even though the Ravens do have a lot of depth at safety. On the flip side, the Dolphins really bamboozled (find any synonym you'd like here) Jackson in the Thursday night matchup last year with their constant all-out blitzing and that certainly would look like a recipe for success again.
THE BIGGEST REASON THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE ...
When the Dolphins faced the Ravens last November, Baltimore simply didn't have enough ways to counterattack the blitzing, in part because they were down to their fifth and sixth running backs and because they couldn't make any big plays in the passing game. The Cover 0 blitz has been very effective for the Dolphins, but it's also susceptible if the coverage on the back end isn't on point, and this is where Byron Jones could be missed. On the other side, it doesn't matter how fast Hill and Waddle are, Tua Tagovailoa still will need some time to get them the ball, and the Dolphins have obvious injury issues on the offensive line that could be problematic not just in pass protection but in the running game as well.
FINAL DOLPHINS-RAVENS PREDICTION
While it clearly doesn't have anything to do with this particular game, it's impossible to overlook the Dolphins' history at M&T Bank Stadium and Miami's 0-4 record in that place. Worse, the last two games produced combined losses of 78-6. Furthermore, until they scored 22 points last year, the Dolphins hadn't topped 15 points against Baltimore in their previous five matchups. Then you look at Baltimore having won its past six home openers, and it's clear the trends don't favor Miami. From a more practical standpoint, this indeed is a tough matchup for the Dolphins because Baltimore is a really good team and it's hard to envision Miami having the same measure of success against Jackson as it did in 2021. And then you have to look at the issues on the Miami offensive line, and it adds up to a very challenging afternoon, though it would make leaving Baltimore with a win that much sweeter and that much more impressive. Ravens 20, Dolphins 17
