With the Ravens suffering a stunning 22-10 loss at Miami on Thursday night, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. There’s no sugarcoating falling to one of the NFL’s worst teams, but Cleveland getting thoroughly embarrassed in New England and a Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh tying Detroit had to leave John Harbaugh’s team feeling better on Sunday. The AFC North may not be that good, but Baltimore remains its top team.
2. What still stands out was how little tempo with which the Ravens played. From taking a delay of game on the opening drive to still huddling late in the ballgame, the offense had no rhythm. Why not use some no-huddle to try to get the blitz-heavy Dolphins on their heels?
3. After gaining 97 yards on the first two possessions, the offense had just 76 yards over its next nine drives. Sam Koch’s eight punts were his most in a game in over three years. It was as toothless as the offense has looked since the 2018 postseason loss.
4. You hope Bradley Bozeman’s shaky snaps were an aberration and not the return of an old problem for Ravens centers. Defenses are going to continue blitzing against this offensive line, and Lamar Jackson can’t afford to lose time in the pocket reaching for off-target snaps.
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5. Isaiah Ford’s 52-yard catch late in the first half and Albert Wilson’s 64-yard reception to all but clinch the game were Miami’s two longest plays of 2021. Baltimore ranks 30th in the NFL with 40 completions of 20-plus yards allowed and tied for 30th with nine of 40-plus yards. Yuck.
6. Sammy Watkins deserves some patience returning from injury, but pulling up on what looked like a catchable end-zone throw from Jackson and putting one on the ground returned for a touchdown certainly won’t slow Rashod Bateman’s push for additional snaps and targets. The rookie was a rare bright spot.
7. Patrick Queen probably wouldn’t have outmuscled Dolphins left tackle Liam Eichenberg to recover the fumble he forced, but his failed attempt to scoop and score magnified the Ravens being tied for 29th with seven takeaways. You could tolerate giving up some big plays if the defense would make some itself.
8. Despite playing on a short week, Calais Campbell, Justin Houston, and Josh Bynes — all 32 or older — were among the best players on the field. It was also encouraging seeing Odafe Oweh register his first sack since Week 5, two other quarterback hits, and another tackle for a loss.
9. I’d still like to see the “indisputable visual evidence” that overturned Mark Andrews’ catch late in the third quarter. The Ravens offense may not have taken advantage, but the NFL would inspire more confidence in its process by more frequently using the below Twitter account to enlighten confused observers.
In #BALvsMIA, the pass was caught by BAL 14, who completed the process of a catch by taking three steps before the ball came out. pic.twitter.com/ofdJVdJp0H8
10. Though Tavon Young’s foot could force the issue, Chris Westry’s return may allow Wink Martindale to use Marlon Humphrey at the nickel a little more. Perhaps that would help him get his hands on more footballs after he forced a league-high eight fumbles last year. He has one this season.
11. If you’d asked me how Miami would pull off the upset, I would have guessed a big night from Mike Gesicki, who didn’t catch a pass. Instead, Ford and Wilson — receivers with 10 catches between them entering Week 10 — combined for 171 receiving yards. What an odd game.
12. A bad game couldn’t spoil a memorable weekend for Jackson, who had his No. 8 retired at Louisville. I remember meeting him the day after he was drafted and joking that Johnny Unitas had done OK for himself going from Louisville to Baltimore. What a special pair of former Cardinals.
