KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Dolphins approach to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson: Last season the Dolphins sent the house at Jackson with a variety of blitzes. They’ll likely pressure Jackson as much as possible again, but with Ravens left tackle Ja’Wuan James (Achilles) sidelined the blitzes might not be necessary. Dolphins edge rushers Melvin Ingram and Jaelan Phillips might be able to win matchups and get to Jackson. But you can bet the blitzes, probably primarily from safeties Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones, will still be there. Last season the Dolphins blitzed on 39.6% of downs, which was second in the NFL behind Tampa Bay’s 40.8%, according to Pro Football Reference. Last Sunday the Dolphins blitzed

27.3% of the time, tied for ninth in the league.

2. Tua Tagovailoa quickly getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers:

The Dolphins didn’t ask their thirdyear quarterback to throw the deep ball last Sunday against New England and that trend should continue all season. Tagovailoa got the ball in the hands of his playmakers quickly, which plays to his accuracy and helps with pass protection. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill (eight receptions, 94 yards) had six receptions within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and two between 20 and 25 yards of the line of scrimmage. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (four receptions, 69 yards, one touchdown) had two receptions within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and two within 15 yards, one being an 11-yard reception that he turned into a 42-yard touchdown.

3. Ravens will target cornerback Nik Needham (or the cornerback opposite All Pro Xavien Howard):

Last Sunday Needham, who started for the injured Byron Jones, was targeted five times and the Patriots completed four passes for 79 yards, according to Pro Football Reference. The average depth of the targets was 22.4 yards, meaning the Patriots thought Needham was vulnerable deep. Conversely, Howard was targeted twice and didn’t allow a completion. Ravens wide receivers Devin Duvernay (four receptions, 54 yards, two touchdowns) and Rashod Bateman (two receptions, 59 yards including 55-yard touchdown reception) had success last Sunday against the New York Jets.

4. Can the Dolphins improve their offensive line play?:

This is crucial on a few levels and health, for now, is the biggest key. Left tackle Terron Armstead (toe), who has missed an average of 5.5 games per season due to injury during the past six seasons, and right tackle Austin Jackson (ankle) are injury concerns. That’s big. Beyond that, pass protection and the running game are concerns. The Dolphins must keep Tagovailoa upright or they risk his sometimes poor decision-making, which surfaced last Sunday and fortunately didn’t turn into fumbles or interceptions.

5. Can Dolphins win on the road?:

The Dolphins are 0-4 at M&T Bank Stadium. On top of that, three of the first five games are on the road with games at Cincinnati (Thursday, Sept. 29) and at the New York Jets (Oct. 9) lurking. The only other home game among the first five is against Buffalo (Sept. 25), a Super Bowl favorite that has beaten the Dolphins seven consecutive times. So it’d be nice if the Dolphins, who were 3-5 on the road last season, could win one of these road games.