Ravens-Dolphins: What can Ravens Take away from this game?

What we learned about the Baltimore Ravens in their 59-10 win over the Miami Dolphins:

So, maybe you heard: The Miami Dolphins are not very good at playing football.

That appears to be the national narrative after the Ravens opened their season on Sunday in Miami by putting a 59-10 pasting on the home team. Actually, let’s re-word this to the true narrative from the national media: The Miami Dolphins are so bad that even the lowly Baltimore Ravens managed to put up 59 points on them with a quarterback who can’t throw, and it’s only going to get worse for them when they have to face good teams.

Well, let us take a look at Sunday’s game, and try to separate fact from fiction a little bit in determining what the Ravens can realistically take forward from this game.

Lamar Jackson

We know how this one is being debated. Critics argue that Jackson is a glorified running back, incapable of becoming a proficient enough passer to have a lasting career in a league that eats up running quarterbacks. They acknowledge that he went 17-20 against Miami on Sunday, for 324 yards and five touchdowns, but argue that it can’t be taken seriously because it’s the Dolphins, and, as we mentioned, they are horrible.

Verdict: Jackson looks vastly improved. This is what was said about him throughout the summer by those with the Ravens and those who watched him practice, and it has clearly carried over into the regular season, opponent notwithstanding. It was argued by many brilliant experts (well, this brilliant expert) that Jackson needed to improve this year to the point of hitting his easy passes, and that would be a huge step. Sunday, he hit everything — bombs, seam passes, short outs and rifled bullets. He might not get these stats every week, but he has the “clubs in his bag” to become a big-time quarterback.

Embrace the growth.