Comic relief, thanks to Hunt
Robert Hunt delivers the laughs: A screen pass intended for Myles Gaskin turned into one of the funniest plays of the season when left guard Robert Hunt intercepted it and ran it 10 yards for what would have been a touchdown if the offensive lineman were an eligible receiver. Hunt stretched the ball out while upside down following a hit to get it across the goal line. While the score didn’t count, it did provide quite a few chuckles.
Dolphins dust off Albert Wilson package: Wilson, a seventh-year receiver, had been put on ice for most of the season for unknown reasons. But the Dolphins finally dusted off the package of offensive plays they had designed for the run-after-catch specialist. Wilson gained 19 yards on two carries, with most of it coming off a 14-yard end-around. And he also caught 87 yards worth of passes on four catches. The 64-yard reception he caught on a jet sweep release the Ravens didn’t pick up helped the Dolphins seal the game.
Jevon Holland continues to make plays: Holland, the Dolphins’ 2021 second-round pick, has showcased why the Dolphins made him the first safety selected in this year’s draft. His knack for being all over the field has made him one of the few bright spots this season. Holland delivered a number of big hits (5 tackles), and produced his second sack of the season when he pulled down Jackson in the third quarter.
Brian Flores, seemingly with no supporting visual evidence, made a great, great challenge: Lamar Jackson had apparently, to almost anyone watching, fit in a 14-yard pass to tight end Mark Andrews at the Ravens’ 48, the Dolphins up 6-3 late in the third quarter. The ball rattled around as Andrews pulled it in, but evidence of it actually touching the grass seemed lacking. The Dolphins coach threw the red flag, stunning Fox broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. However, after referee Ron Torber reversed the play to incomplete, and Baltimore followed that with an incomplete pass on thirdand-9 and then a punt, the Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback referenced Flores’ decision in glowing terms at least three more times in the game’s remaining 17 minutes of playing time.
That felt like Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson in Tokyo: It is simply stunning that this was the game where the Dolphins punched their Baltimore bully in the mouth. The Ravens had outscored Miami 137-16 over the past five years, but Thursday night, the Dolphins did something they hadn’t done since John Harbaugh became coach — they beat them down.