Make sure.
That could be the theme of the week for the Ravens as they prepare to host Miami, and those words might as well serve as the message for the remainder of the season.
As thoroughly impressive and enjoyable as the Christmas night win over San Francisco was, Baltimore needs to make sure that doesn’t go down as the high point of the 2023 campaign. Earning national praise as the best team in the NFL is great, but it only means so much in late December, something the 2019 Ravens learned all too painfully. The same goes for individual accolades that range from a potential second NFL MVP for Lamar Jackson to Pro Bowl selections that will be announced next week.
Before even thinking about next month, however, the Ravens must make sure they beat the Dolphins, who are the final obstacle standing in the way of the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. While last week’s eyeball test against the 49ers resulted in an abundance of style points and the undisputed top spot in various NFL power rankings, Sunday is about winning by any means necessary. John Harbaugh’s team can win 3-2 or by five touchdowns.
Just make sure you come away with the victory.
After winning nine of their last 10 games, the last thing the Ravens want is a Week 17 stumble that drastically changes the landscape of the regular-season finale. You don’t want to be back to scoreboard watching hoping Buffalo knocks off Miami in Week 18, and you really don’t want high stakes riding on the totally unpredictable nature of a Ravens-Steelers game, especially with Cleveland winning Thursday to keep its own AFC North title hopes alive.
Beating Miami eliminates such unsettling possibilities and essentially pushes the Ravens to the third weekend in January, leaving only the decision of which starters to rest against Pittsburgh next week. The “rest vs. rust” debate sure beats pondering the possibility of Mike Tomlin’s Steelers — as unimpressive as they’ve looked for most of the season — derailing Baltimore’s hopes for the No. 1 seed or even the division title.
This is easier said than done with the Dolphins being the only team to have beaten the Ravens in both 2021 and 2022 with a healthy Jackson on the field. The Week 2 home defeat to Miami last year was particularly excruciating as Baltimore blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter with Tua Tagovailoa throwing for 469 yards and six touchdowns.
Of course, much has changed since then as that was only Mike Macdonald’s second game as defensive coordinator. That game was also played seven weeks before the trade deadline arrival of Roquan Smith, who instantly served as a force multiplier for the defense.
Still, that collapse brought no shortage of lessons — including the same need to finish strong that applies on Sunday.
“Obviously, it was a tough pill to swallow for us, and all credit to them for the way they executed and made those plays,” Harbaugh said. “We learned a lot. We learned a lot about ourselves, our coverages. We weren’t anywhere near where we needed to be execution-wise at the time, and they’re capable of doing that to anybody at any time. That’s why we have to prepare at the highest level and try to be at our best.”
After such a physical — and emotional — win over the 49ers, it’s fair to wonder how the Ravens will respond to the quick turnaround against another high-quality opponent that has everything to gain by pulling off an upset. Not only would the Dolphins move into the top spot in the AFC with a week to play, but a win would give Miami its first AFC East division title since 2008.
Jackson and others have talked about being in playoff mode for a while now, and the December gauntlet will finish with a fourth straight game against a team currently in the playoff field. Staying dialed in one more time would bring a much-deserved respite for the conference-leading Ravens before the real season begins next month.
They just need to make sure they finish the job.
“I believe we’ve got a bunch of guys who’ve been doubted, a bunch of guys who’ve got things to prove on our team on both sides of the ball,” Jackson said. “I believe anytime we’re the underdogs, we’re going to always rise to the occasion.
“But we’ve got to stay locked in to do that.”
