Preview: Dolphins-Ravens

Now that the Dolphins have gotten the taste of the Steelers loss out of their mouth, they will head to M&T Bank Stadium to take on the Baltimore Ravens. On paper, the Ravens are absolutely loaded. With Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice, Ray Lewis, Haloti Ngata, and Ed Reed, there is star power wherever you look. Of course, the big storyline for the Dolphins was that they passed on surefire Hall of Famer Randy Moss. Whether he would’ve launched this team to the Super Bowl, or sent it to 6 wins, remains to be seen. For now, Brian Hartline will have to be the one making the explosive plays.

Dolphins Run Offense vs. Ravens Run Defense

Very rarely do you find a back who is capable of beating the Raven run defense. Unfortunately, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams no longer qualify for that title. I hope Jeff Ireland is keeping tabs of Jamaal Charles… Despite a lack of recognizable names, Baltimore always knows how to stop the run, and that is due to residential OldSpicepsycho, Ray Lewis. If you would like to simulate one of his tackles, simply go outside, take acar,and ram it at yourself at 50 mph.

ADVANTAGE: Ravens

Dolphins Pass Offense vs. Ravens Pass Defense

Ed Reed was badly needed for the Ravens. He was the only true playmaker they had in the secondary, and he was sorely missed at the start of the year. But when it comes to driving 60 yards for a Dan Carpenter field goal, nobody does it better than the Dolphins! I’m calling out Brandon Marshall here. Dan Henning obviously forgets you exist in the red zone. You NEED to make at least one big play outside of there. You know, catch a 10 yard screen pass, break a couple of tackles, and sprint for the pylon. Yards-wise you’ve been fantastic, but we need you to score more.

ADVANTAGE: Dolphins

Ravens Run Offense vs. Dolphins Run Defense

Ray Rice is a dominant back who can take over a game by himself. The Dolphins have showed that they can contain anybody except the premier RBs. Rice is a factor in both the passing game and the running game, so the Dolphins must know where he is at all times.

ADVANTAGE: Ravens

Ravens Pass Offense vs. Dolphins Pass Defense

That target across from Vontae Davis, be it Sean Smith or Jason Allen, is the big concern. With so many talented wide recievers, like Boldin, Derrick Mason, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and possible Donte’ Stallworth, things could get out of hand quickly. 3rd-year man Joe Flacco is starting to blossom into a franchise quarterback

ADVANTAGE: Ravens

Dolphins Special Teams vs. Ravens Special Teams

I’m giving the edge to Dolphins because of the overdosage of Dan Carpenter, and the suddenly solid return game/coverage. I think the Dolphins could have one of the best special team units if they could get an explosive returner. Imagine that. Carpenter, Brandon Fields, and a great return guy. Beautiful.

ADVANTAGE: Dolphins

Dolphins Coaching vs. Ravens Coaching

John Harbaugh has done a great job of molding this aged team together into one of the best teams in the league. His squad gets the nod because of the Dolphin’s awful play-calling in the red-zone, and on some key 3rd down plays. While Moss wouldve helped, Henning needs to target Marshall or Davone Bess in the end zone. Settling for 3 yard curls to Anthony Fasano doesn’t win ballgames, my friends.

ADVANTAGE: Ravens

Fantasy Predictions

The Good: Ray Rice, RB BAL (91 rush yds, 46 rec yds, 1 TD)

The Bad: Derrick Mason, WR BAL (5 rec, 52 yds)

The Ugly: Ronnie Brown, RB MIA (13 rush, 36 yds)

PREDICTION: Ravens 24, Dolphins 19

I think this is the end of the road (no pun intended) for the Fins’ streak. With an ineffective running game, Chad Henne will have to throw early and often. While that may lead to a 300 yard, 2 TD day, it will likely include some bad interceptions. If the Dolphins lose this however, they have a tiny consolation prize. They will have lost to, arguably, the four best teams in the league. But still, you don’t want to fall 3 games behind the Pats at midseason. This game has pretty big playoff implications, keep that in mind.

Jeff Romer

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