The Ravens won their season against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The Ravens will try to change the momentum by bringing back Lamar Jackson for a game in Miami, against the Dolphins. In 2025, the Dolphins are struggling but so have the Ravens. How can the Ravens win?
The Dolphins were a close opponent of the Bears who had the best turnover differential coming into Baltimore. The Dolphins, in comparison, are at the bottom of their league with a differential of -5. The Ravens, in a strange twist, are worse with a differential of -6. Fumbles, as we discussed last week are probably the main reason the Ravens don’t have any wins on their record. Buffalo, Detroit Chiefs, Rams: the Ravens either gave away wins or eliminated themselves from the competition. Let’s be honest. The Ravens have more talent and are a better team. Dolphins can make it difficult for the Ravens if they give the ball away. Keep the ball and don’t lose the game.
Achane, the Dolphins’ speedster, is the most important part of their offense. He has over 750 yards of scrimmage and seven touchdowns. Mike McDaniel’s creativity revolves around Achane. Achane is the most active player in Miami’s offensive system. He touches the ball as much as anyone else, thanks to a wide-ranging run game, creative screens and being used for receiving. Achane’s speed is a challenge for any NFL linebacker, but the Ravens might have a plan to deal with it. Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Hushprey are now often seen in the box or near the line. The presence of defensive backs at the line should help to contain Achane before he gets into the open field where he is unlikely to be caught by anyone in the NFL.
The Ravens were working hard to create pressure and use blitzes. As a result, the Bears ran screens with great success against the Ravens. Achane gets a lot more looks with the Dolphins screen game. Hamilton and Humphrey will have to use their IQ to know when to run the blitz and when to go after the screen.
Recently, the topic of discussion has been how difficult it is to convert on the goalline. The Ravens’ success at the goal line was a big improvement over previous weeks. Derrick Henry scored two touchdowns on the Chicago sideline, which is a huge improvement. The Ravens also scored around the 10-yard-line with a clever concept that allowed Charlie Kolar to run in with green grass. They also missed out on points by kicking two field goal in the third quarter, while they were inside the red area instead of converting. It’s the difference between the Bears having a chance to come back and being ahead 16-6, or being ahead 24-6 early in the second-half and taking the life out of them.
Mike McDaniel’s offense has some potent weapons, like De’Von Achane or Jaylen Wade, that can score points quickly. It will be important to convert touchdowns in the red area instead of field goals to keep the game out-of-reach and prevent the Ravens from pulling any tricks during the fourth quarter. I would love to see Ravens red zone weapons who are either successful or have a strong physical presence near the endzone. Derrick Henry is not the only weapon that can be used. There are others like Isaiah Likley and Rashod bateman as well as DeAndre Hopkins and Patrick Ricard. These weapons either have a great scoring chemistry or simply bully defenders to score. Bateman, who isn’t the biggest physical presence, scored nine touchdowns last year. Five of those were in the red zones. His route running and his ability to extend plays was a big reason. Patrick Ricard could run over and physically bully every dolphin defender at least for five yards.
I would like to see a lot of the same creativity and scheme that led Kolar to his touchdown, but with more bodies. Last year, this was the best red-zone offense in the league with the highest conversion rates. It’s time for us to get back on track.