(Photo: Washington Times)
AFC Game Of The Week
Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens
Dolphins: I’ll be very blunt here. I didn’t like how they looked in that game on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. In other words, they did all they could to give that game to Dallas in week 16, but in typical Cowboys form, they couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities given to them. In other words, Mike McDaniel almost cost his football team a game, but he’s lucky it all came down to a chip shot field goal to win the game. I understand what makes this offense go is their passing attack and rightfully so because they can hurt defenses with how they stretch the field vertically. I wouldn’t be mad if people labeled Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle the best trio of offensive weapons in the league today. However, I think the Dolphins are a scarier offense when they have that ground game going for them and they had it going for them on Sunday until they wanted to be cute and get away from it. I’ll never understand football teams and why they do that and that’s getting away from what was working for them in the game. With the win on Sunday, the Dolphins are 11-4 and still on top in the AFC East. The last time they were division champions, the league looked very different. Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers were all still active players, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu were also still playing. Four of the men I just listed are all owners of the Gold Jacket with a bust in Canton. Also, the last time the Dolphins won their division, Chad Pennington was their Quarterback. Yeah, I truly took it back. On Sunday, they will make a trip to Baltimore to play in their biggest game of the regular season.
Ravens: Monday night was probably their biggest win of the season. I still say their best overall performance came in the win over the Detroit Lions on October 22nd. That was the best game I’ve ever seen from Lamar Jackson on the football field and when he plays how he did in that game, this is an unbeatable football team. The storylines couldn’t have been any bigger for the game on Monday. You had the conference leader from the NFC facing the conference leader in the AFC in a rare matchup and these are also two of the harder hitting football teams in our game. The 49ers are a tough team at home and they were punched in the mouth. Haven’t I said this often? “The bully doesn’t like getting bullied” and that is exactly what the Baltimore Ravens did to the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas night. Now, I want to get to what everyone is discussing as of late. Many have said that Lamar has become the favorite to win the league MVP award. This isn’t a knock or diss to Lamar at all, but he wasn’t the primary reason why the Ravens were able to win that football game. I’m not about to sit here and ignore the fact that the defense delivered and threw punch after punch. So, we’re really about to ignore the fact the defense forced five turnovers and intercepted Brock Purdy four times? I have a hard time agreeing with you saying Lamar is the reason they won that game. That Baltimore defense deserves every flower thrown their way and every round of applause and that’s the best I’ve seen them look all year. What makes this defense so special is how they can throw different looks at you with different players. You just never know who they’re going to throw at you. This is the best Baltimore team I’ve seen since 2019 and back then, they won the AFC North and clinched the top seed in the AFC Playoff Picture for the first time in franchise history. They return home on Sunday with Tua and the Dolphins in town.
Dolphins X-Factor: Bradley Chubb– Since he was traded to the Dolphins, he’s looked a lot more comfortable compared to his days in Denver. It also helps when he’s familiar playing with Vic Fangio who just happens to be the Dolphins Defensive Coordinator. Bradley is special and has such a strong pursuit of the passer. He never lets up and that’s what allows him to standout. He will have his hands full on Sunday trying to contain and keep one of the toughest players to contain in the pocket in Lamar Jackson.
Ravens X-Factor: Kyle Hamilton– I loved him at Notre Dame and he’s quietly becoming a solid pro as well. The Ravens have a thing for ball-hawking Safeties. Look who played for them, one of the best I’ve seen and that’s Ed Reed I’m referring too. Kyle has unreal versatility. He can play down in the box and pursue the runner and he can cover ground along with playing with that range. He does both with the same consistency and energy. Kyle can also play in the slot and the Ravens send him on Safety blitzes. Miami must circle in on this kid.
Final Thoughts: What a game this should be. It’s the top two teams with the two best records in the AFC right now. The winner of this game is more than likely getting the one seed in the AFC playoffs meaning the road to the Super Bowl will either travel through Baltimore or South Florida in January. These two played in one of the best games I saw all last year. Baltimore got off to that fast start and looked to be cruising to a victory until the Dolphins fought back. This was also the game where the Ravens had a rookie Cornerback on Tyreek Hill and you can only imagine how that went. This will by far be the toughest challenge for the Ravens secondary having to contain both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (if he plays). It will first start with throwing Tua off his spot. I’m pushing him to the right side of the pocket, then forcing him to throw off that back foot. That’s the only way the Baltimore secondary will have a shot to make a play,. I expect Miami to play their share of zone defense which is common on a Vic Fangio scheme. Also, can the Dolphins get their running game going? That could help throw off the Ravens defense early on. The Ravens pass defense is far too strong with its mix of consistent pass rush and deep playmakers in the secondary. I like Baltimore at home here.
Prediction: Ravens 28, Dolphins 24
