The Thursday Night Football clash between the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens was a classic example of what we love about the NFL. Despite entering the game as huge underdogs and having just a 2-7 record to show for it in the first nine weeks, the Dolphins managed to outclass the Ravens and claim a 22-10 upset win.
The big reason for Miami’s win was their defense, which finally started to show signs of life in recent weeks. The Dolphins simply didn’t allow Baltimore’s star quarterback Lamar Jackson to get comfortable in the game, blitzing him non-stop. This included 24 defensive back blitzes, which was most than any signal-caller faced in the past six years. Miami also sacked Jackson four times, intercepted him once, and limited him to just 39 rushing yards on nine carries.
Aside from doing all this, Miami’s defense also got on the scoreboard. Star corner Xavien Howard forced a fumble by wideout Sammy Watkins, recovered it, and then took the ball 49 yards to the endzone.
The Dolphins’ offense did enough to secure the win even if they had a QB switch early in the third quarter. After veteran Jacoby Brissett hurt his knee, head coach Brian Flores sent second-year signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa on the field.
Tagovailoa, who was dealing with a middle finger fracture in recent weeks, ended up playing well enough to convince Flores he should stay under center for the remainder of the game. The Alabama product ended up completing eight out of his 13 pass attempts while throwing for 158 yards and scoring a touchdown via QB sneak.
The Dolphins now improved to a 3-7 record and sit in third place in the AFC East. The Ravens, on the other hand, are still leaders in AFC North with a 6-3 record but have the Pittsburgh Steelers at 5-3 breathing down their neck.
