Respect for the Fins
Dolphins defense, coaching deserve the attention after upsetting good Ravens team on national TV
MIAMI GARDENS — Don’t water down the Miami Dolphins’ third victory of the season.
The Dolphins defense dismantled a very good Baltimore Ravens offense during Thursday night’s nationally televised 22-10 win.
Tua Tagovailoa came into the game after Jacoby Brissett got injured and continued to prove he has the IT factor, leading the team to a fourth-quarter victory, the franchise’s second straight.
Considering how poorly the Dolphins have played this season, how much the team has struggled in every aspect of the game, there is no reason to attach a “but” to any of these statements. Don’t water down Thursday night’s accomplishments with any disclaimer.
For one week, the Dolphins earned the nation’s respect.
Here is the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s report card, evaluating how the Dolphins performed against the Ravens.
Passing game: B
Jacoby Brissett’s performance as Miami’s starter was disappointing. He was under constant pressure (two sacks), and only completed 11 of 23 passes for 156 yards before leaving the game with a knee injury. Tua Tagovailoa was sharp as his replacement, despite playing with a fractured middle finger on his throwing hand. The offense got scaled down a bit because of the injury, but Tagovailoa completed 8-of-13 passes for 158 yards (104.0 passer rating) and ran for one touchdown. He also delivered two of his longest completions of the career against the Ravens.
Running game: F
At this point, the Dolphins are waving the proverbial white flag when it comes to running the football. Miami came into Thursday night’s game with the NFL’s worst rushing attack and is on pace to push for the worst rushing attack in franchise history. The 60 yards Miami gained on 22 carries (2.7 per attempt) Thursday night didn’t help the cause. At this point, it’s time for the Dolphins to make changes to the offensive line, and/ or add another tailback, because this issue is getting worse every week.
Defending the pass: A
The Dolphins did a masterful job of keeping the Ravens off balance with the zero-blitz approach, which kept Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson guessing where the pressure was coming from most of the night. His quick passes to Marquise Brown weren’t effective (six receptions for 37 yards), and Justin Coleman pulled down an interception of Jackson, who delivered his second worst performance of the season (73.6 passer rating).
Defending the run: A
The Dolphins played bully ball with the NFL’s biggest bullies and won. Miami contained the NFL’s best rushing attack to 94 yards, which is 66 yards below the Ravens’ average. Jackson averaged 64 rushing yards per game, and he only produced 39 on nine carries against Baltimore. Since Raekwon Davis’ return from the knee injury that sidelined him for a month, the Dolphins’ defensive front has been somewhat stingy. Thursday night’s game proves this is no fluke.
Special teams: B
Whether pressure contributed to Baltimore’s Justin Tucker, a four-time All Pro, missing his second field goal of the 2021 season is unclear. However, the Dolphins did have one of their cleaner special teams performances of the season. Michael Palardy averaged 42.4 yards on his eight punts, and he had two of them downed inside the 20-yard line. Mack Hollins stopped one of those punts on the 1-yard line. Miami’s return game is non-existent, but considering there’s laundry list of problems, its hard to imagine that is a high priority.
Coaching: A
This season, Miami’s coaching staff has done a dismal job of leading this team, highlighting their strengths and masking their weaknesses. But Thursday night’s game plan against the Ravens was a brilliant coaching performance. Defending Jackson with three inside linebackers in a traditional 3-4 scheme was creative, and the zero blitzes used to create pressure showed excellent utilization of Miami’s skill set and personnel. While Miami’s offense still hasn’t gotten its act together, at least the defense appears to be regaining its bite.
Stock up
We were close to putting Albert Wilson on a milk carton because of how absent he’s been, but the run-after-catch specialist resurrected himself Thursday night, contributing 87 yards on four receptions and 19 yards on two rushes. That’s the second 100-plus yard performance from a Dolphins player this season, and one that explains why the 29-yearold receiver is still in the NFL. It’s because he has the shake-and-bake ability to make people miss, and the Dolphins need to start capitalizing on it.
Stock down
Liam Eichenberg, the Dolphins’ 2021 second-round pick, is having a rough rookie season. The Dolphins’ starting left tackle allowed the sack that got Brissett hurt, and he also allowed a handful of pressures. This is the second straight game Eichenberg has struggled, and it is his technique that’s failing him.