Ravens beat Dolphins 27-10: The good, bad and the ugly
The Baltimore Ravens won 27-10 so obviously we start with the good:
One of the impressive things from this game is that it was a competitive first half. Many of the Ravens starters didn’t play, but the Dolphins pretty much gave the first half to their starters. At the half it was 10-3 Dolphins; if not for a uncharecteristic miss from Justin Tucker and then a blocked field goal, the first half would have ended 10-9. That is either great news for the Ravens or a very bad look for the Dolphins.
The Ravens saw some great performances in their fourth preseason victory. Tim White had three receptions for 70 yards. Kenny Young seemed to be everywhere for the defense. Stanley Jean-Baptiste had a remarkable interception where he out-leveraged the wide receiver for the football in mid-air. De’Lance Turner had a long touchdown run, which may have been the most impressive play from an impressive group of running backs.
The defense continued to have big plays in the exhibition games. The Ravens had two sacks and two interceptions. Baltimore showed that their defensive depth is outstanding and their backups on both sides of the ball are capable.
Robert Griffin III may have not had a remarkable night, but he played well. He was efficient and smart with the football, despite a make-shift offensive line struggling against the Dolphins starting front seven. Lamar Jackson had his best performance of the preseason. Jackson only had three incomplete passes in the contest and he made a difference as a passer and a runner. You have to give credit to the Ravens coaching staff for not playing Joe Flacco. With sloppy conditions and back up offensive linemen, there was no reason to put Flacco in harm’s way.
The Bad:
The Ravens tight end situation looks especially weak without Hayden Hurst. Mark Andrews, who has been one of the more hyped up rookie additions, looked lost on the field. Andrews dropped an early pass, before committing a false start penalty. Maxx Williams was the Ravens tight end with a reception. Williams had a nine yard grab. The Ravens have no difference making tight ends other than Hurst.
The Ravens still had some special teams woes in this game. Justin Tucker missed a field goal (which is an odd sentence to write). Then Tucker had a field goal attempt blocked. This gave the Dolphins a short field and led to their only touchdown of the night. Ryan Tannehill had a good night. The Dolphins quarterback went 11-16 passing for 115 yards and a touchdown.
The Ravens didn’t have their full set of starters playing, but the Dolphins were a little too efficient in the first half. The Ravens gave up big chunk plays in the battle with the Dolphins. Rashawn Scott and Kenyan Drake both had 1 reception and they combined for 74 yards. It’s not overly alarming, but it’s not what you want to see.
Another bad moment in the game was the troubles Matt Skura had with snapping the football. There were a couple of bad snaps from Skura. Despite that wet conditions, that doesn’t look good, especially because Bradley Bozeman had another decent night.