Dolphins Week 17 Opponent Breakdown: Baltimore Ravens
The Miami Dolphins will look to clinch the AFC East title and move closer to the No. 1 seed in the conference when they face the Baltimore Ravens in a showdown at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Ravens will go into the game with conference-best 12-3 record after their impressive road victory against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.
To get some answers on five major questions related to the Ravens and this AFC showdown, we turned to longtime Ravens reporter Todd Karpovich of Baltimoresports.com.
1. What's the biggest reason you would say the Ravens find themselves with the best record in the NFL through 16 weeks?
TK: The Ravens have depth, confidence and veteran leadership. The players buy into the schemes the coaches put together every week. Lamar Jackson is having an MVP-caliber season and has limited the turnovers recently. The running game, ranked No. 1 in the NFL, wears teams down in the second half. The defense leads the league is sacks and creates havoc.
2. The Ravens look like a very well balanced team while they were handling the 49ers on Monday night; where would you say they are most vulnerable, and why?
TK: The offensive line is a bit banged up, so the Ravens have to rely on their depth. If the Dolphins can effectively speed-rush the tackles, they can pressure Jackson. If safety Kyle Hamilton cannot play or is limited with a left knee injury, that would be a huge advantage for Miami. The secondary would be vulnerable and that fits into the Dolphins' big-play strengths.
3. Why are the Ravens better equipped to deal with the Miami passing game than when Tua, Tyreek and Waddle torched them in Week 2 of the 2022 season??
TK: The Ravens have much better communication on the back end. Hamilton had the worst game of his young career against the Dolphins last year and he’s a much better player. Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was also in his first year, so the players were still adjusting to his scheme. I don’t see the Ravens having similar breakdowns in the secondary this week
4. How has Lamar Jackson's game as a quarterback evolved?
TK: Jackson is much more comfortable in the pocket and has grown as a passer. The new offense under Todd Monken had given him more freedom to call audibles when necessary. Jackson is also a smarter runner and know when to get down to avoid a hard tackle. He also does not have the uncertain contract situation hanging over him.
5. What do you see as the biggest key to the game from a Ravens perspective?
TK: The Ravens need to limit the big plays by keeping the pressure on Tagovailoa and force him into making mistakes. Offensively, the Ravens need to effectively run the ball to keep Tua and company off the field. If the Ravens can force a couple of turnovers, they’ll be in a solid position to win this game.
