Garrett Ferguson’s predictions:
This is the game we’ve been waiting 8 months for and I don’t think we’re going to be disappointed. All the questions surrounding Lamar Jackson and this offense are finally going to be answered against the Miami Dolphins. Not only is this the first game of the 2019 NFL season, but it’s going to be the first game of the new Baltimore Ravens era. Gone are the likes of Terrell Suggs (the last of the Ravens old guard), Joe Flacco (the quarterback who won the franchise their second Super Bowl), and Eric Weddle who was the leader of this defense of the last 3 years. Here are my game predictions that lead to a Ravens win:
Lamar Jackson will have more rushing yards than Mark Ingram: I predict Jackson will have more rushing yards than Mark Ingram because of how bad the Dolphins defense is, especially their rush defense. The Dolphins are going to be so focused on stopping Ingram and the run game that it will open up running lanes outside of the numbers. I expect to see Jackson take off for 15-20 yard runs consistently against this defense leaving the Dolphins with no answers.
Lamar Jackson will throw for over 200 yards: This may not seem like a bold prediction but considering Jackson only threw for over 200 yards once last year makes it a little bold. Along with their rush defense, the Dolphins don’t have much in their secondary behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and Xavien Howard either. I expect a lot of targets to go to Mark Andrews and Willie Snead in the middle of the field which also happens to be Jackson’s strong suit. The ball is going to be distributed to so many players it’ll be hard for Jackson not to top 200 passing yards.
Earl Thomas is going to have his first pick six as a Raven: This is more of an inevitability than a prediction because intercepting the quarterback is what Earl Thomas does but doing in his first game as a Raven? That would be a statement. Ryan Fitzpatrick may be the most hot and cold quarterback in the league but when he’s cold, he’s ice-cold and that’s what I expect in this game. The Ravens complex defense is going to be too much for Fitzpatrick to handle, so it’ll only be a matter of time before Earl takes one of his passes the other way. The Ravens haven’t had a true ball hawking safety since Ed Reed left in the 2013 offseason so Earl Thomas is going to be a welcomed commodity.
Score: 38-10, Baltimore
Happy game day Baltimore! It’s finally here. Ebony Bird has you covered all day long!