3. Winning the turnover battle:
If you’re noticing a theme, the way to win this game for the Ravens is just to take care of the business. If they played the Dolphins in a seven game series it would have a good chance of being a 4-0 sweep. The Ravens go into this game holding all the advantages. They have the beater team and they have hope for the season. The only way the Ravens lose the upper hand in this game is if they give it away to the Dolphins. Turnovers are the number one thing that can derail the Ravens.
Last year Jackson had a fumbling problem. He got through his preseason play without an issue here, yet it’s always something he has to think about. Turnovers can give the Dolphins momentum and can energize their home stadium. Every ounce of hope that the Dolphins are given is a dangerous thing. The Ravens can’t make mistakes with the ball. It’s that simple.
Conversely, taking the ball away will only amplify the talent disparity of these two teams. If the Ravens create turnovers on defense, the Dolphins will have no chance in this game. The turnover battle could decide this game. If it goes the way of Miami, you could see a week 1 upset. If it goes the way of Baltimore, it would just confirm what we already knew. The Ravens are better than the Dolphins. If they play their best football, control the clock and take care of the ball, they will win this game easily. They just can’t go into the game expecting it to be given to them.