The Baltimore Ravens were utterly embarrassed by their inferior foes on Thursday night as they fell to the previously 2-7 Miami Dolphins by a final score of 22-10.
It was a game in which the Ravens never seemed to get out of first gear. If anything, they were stuck in park — or at least their offense was.
The Ravens managed just over 300 yards of offense and finished 2-of-14 on third down. Sloppy offensive line play, drops, fumbles, and a poor offensive game plan tanked what many expected to be a standout offensive performance against one of the league’s worst defenses.
And although the defense played well for most of the game against a lackluster Dolphins offense, coverage breakdowns proved to be the difference-maker.
There’s no excuse for the way this game went down.
The Ravens should have gone into Hard Rock Stadium and asserted their dominance against a Dolphins team that has looked like one of the worst in the NFL this season.
Instead, they were the ones who got embarrassed. The Dolphins asserted their dominance over the Ravens and earned a victory.
Who is to blame for this loss? As per usual, there isn’t only one culprit. And at the same time, there were at least a couple of notable standouts who attempted to salvage the night.
Let’s take a look at some studs and duds from the Ravens’ Week 10 loss to the Dolphins.
STUD: Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens
There weren’t many standouts from Thursday’s performance, but one of them was the play of rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
In a difficult day for the offense, Bateman was one of the few things that went right as the rookie finished with six catches for 80 yards on eight total targets.
It was the best performance of Bateman’s young NFL career as he took advantage of the Dolphins defense keying in on Marquise Brown.
Bateman has quickly become one of Lamar Jackson’s favorite targets with the two building a rapport in short order.
In a forgettable day from the Ravens’ offense, Bateman’s performance was one to remember.
STUD: Josh Bynes, LB, Ravens
Is there any player on the Ravens defense performing at a higher level than Josh Bynes is right now? The veteran linebacker has been a revelation once again for a Ravens defense that was desperate for linebacker help.
Bynes continued his recent string of excellent performances on Thursday with his most notable stretch of excellent play coming early in the fourth quarter.
The 32-year-old made an outstanding run stuff on 1st-and-goal which was followed up by a leaping one-handed pass deflection on the very next play.
A few penalties later and the Dolphins were forced to settle for three. If Bynes doesn’t make those two plays, Miami likely scores a touchdown. Bynes saved the Ravens four points with those two plays.
He remains one of the best overall players on the team’s defense right now.
DUD: Greg Roman, OC, Ravens
Perhaps no individual has received more of the blame for the Ravens’ loss than offensive coordinator Greg Roman. And it’s hard to argue against that.
Roman was outclassed in every conceivable way on Thursday. The Ravens preached all week the importance of defeating the Dolphins’ blitz-heavy defense, but when it came time for game day, the team looked like they had never seen a blitz before.
Roman’s failure to adapt to the Cover 0 looks the Dolphins were showing was one of the biggest reasons the offense failed to move the ball effectively.
Part of the job of a coordinator is adapting mid-game when things don’t go as planned. Roman failed to do that on Thursday night and it ultimately cost the Ravens the game.
DUD: Ravens offensive line
While the coaching staff deserves blame, so too do the players. The Ravens offensive line was a trainwreck on Thursday night, failing to protect Lamar Jackson all game long.
The Ravens allowed a total of nine pressures, seven QB hits, and four sacks to Miami as the Dolphins defense wreaked havoc all night.
Yes, it didn’t help that the Dolphins blitzed on seemingly every play. Scheming had a large role in the failures of the offensive line.
But that shouldn’t excuse what was a bad day from the starting five up front.
DUD: Sammy Watkins, WR, Ravens
It’s safe to say that Thursday’s game wasn’t the long-awaited return that Sammy Watkins was hoping for.
Watkins finished with just one catch for seven yards on three total targets. On that only catch, Watkins fumbled the ball allowing Xavien Howard to return it for a scoop-and-score touchdown.
The Ravens were trailing by just six points at the time and had just crossed over into Dolphins territory before Watkins’ back-breaking mistake. In many ways, that play proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
Watkins also slowed up on a beautiful throw from Jackson in the first half when he appeared to lose the ball in the lights. Had Watkins found the ball, there’s a good chance he would have hauled it in for a highlight-reel touchdown.
It was a disaster of a day for Sammy Watkins who will look to quickly put this one behind him.
DUD: Ravens secondary
The Ravens’ secondary had their moments on Thursday. Marlon Humphrey showed flashes of the All-Pro cornerback that has been missing at points this season. Anthony Averett made a couple of strong pass breakups at key moments.
But this unit lands on this list for two very specific reasons, both of which were caused by completely coverage breakdowns.
First it was a 52-yard throw to the speedy Isaiah Ford that set up a Jason Sanders field goal late in the first half, giving the Dolphins a 6-3 lead going into halftime.
Then, with time winding down in the fourth quarter, Tua Tagovailoa found Albert Wilson streaking down the sideline with no Ravens defender within 15 yards of him. The play went for 64 yards and set up Miami’s final score of the game.
Miscommunication ruined what could have been a very good day for the defense. But alas, that inexcusable miscommunication cost the Ravens not once, but twice.