As the Ravens (1-0) prepare to face the Miami Dolphins (1-0) in the home opener at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 18, head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Lamar Jackson said they have learned from last year’s beatdown by the Dolphins.
To review: The Ravens took a 6-2 record to Miami last year to face a Dolphins team with a 2-7 record and the league’s 30th-ranked defense. The Ravens were an eight-point favorite on the road. Miami, though, unleashed a relentless string of aggressive, Cover Zero blitzes that baffled the Ravens, leaving Jackson visibly frustrated on the sideline. Miami safety Jevon Holland blitzed 21 times according to NextGen Stats, the most of any defensive back since NextGen began tracking such data in 2016.
Playing on the road on a short week, the Ravens managed just three points through three quarters and left Miami with a 22-10 loss that seemed to change the tenor of their season.
“They just caught us off guard, really,” Jackson said at his weekly news conference on Sept. 14. “We hadn’t really gone over defenses doing all-up (Cover) Zero against us — like just all-up, flat-out zero. But I feel like we’ll have an answer for it this year. … We watched a lot of film on those guys, because we don’t want it to happen again.”
It marked the only time in 50 regular-season starts that Jackson’s offense was held to three points through three quarters. (That also happened in playoff losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills.)
Jackson finished 26-for-43 for 238 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked four times, hit seven times and rattled throughout.
For all their struggles, though, the Ravens trailed just 9-3 in the fourth quarter before Sammy Watkins fumbled after a completion and Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard scooped up the loose ball and raced 49 yards for a touchdown and 16-3 Dolphins lead.
The win also appeared to turn around the season for the Dolphins, who went 6-1 after beating Baltimore en route to a 9-8 record.
That was not enough for head coach Brian Flores to keep his job, though, and now Mike McDaniel has taken over for the Dolphins. Perhaps most significantly for the Ravens, he retained defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, whose defense so stymied them last year.
The Dolphins are coming off a 20-7 win against the New England Patriots in Week 1.
At his news conference on Sept. 14, Harbaugh acknowledged that “we needed to get a lot better” against the Cover Zero blitz, “and we studied it the whole offseason. We’ll have a plan for it and hope it works, because these guys are probably the best in the league at doing it right now. They do it more than anybody, they do it better than anybody and it’s just something they’re committed to.”
Jackson said, “We’ll have an answer this time around if they do the same thing.”
NOTEBOOK
JACKSON SAYS NO MORE CONTRACT QUESTIONS: Jackson said he is done discussing his contract situation after the team announced last week that the two sides have shelved negotiations until after the season.
“Respectfully, I’m really done talking about it,” he said. “I told you guys before, I was going to be done with it Week 1. Week 1 is over with. We’re done talking about it. I’m focused on the Dolphins now.”
Jackson is playing this year in the fifth-year option of his rookie deal after he and the team failed to work out an extension by Jackson’s self-imposed deadline of Sept. 9. Jackson and the Ravens have kept negotiations close to the vest, but ESPN reported that Jackson turned down a deal worth $250 million, with $133 million guaranteed.
If the two sides fail to reach a deal after the season, Jackson would be set to become a free agent, though the Ravens could apply the exclusive franchise tag to Jackson, which would likely cost roughly $45 million against the 2023 cap.
RB DOBBINS FULL PARTICIPANT FOR FIRST TIME THIS YEAR: Running back J.K. Dobbins (knee) was a full participant at practice Sept. 14, the first time this year he has practiced fully, and he could be in line to make his season debut against the Dolphins.
Dobbins, expected to be the team’s No. 1 running back, has not played since suffering a torn ACL in the 2021 preseason finale at Washington. He was limited in practice last week, and although he publicly vowed that “damn sure I’ll be ready” for Week 1, he was listed as questionable and sat out the season opener against the New York Jets.
PETERS, STANLEY REMAIN LIMITED, ROOKIE DL JONES RETURNS: Cornerback Marcus Peters (knee) and tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) remain limited in practice, according to the team’s injury report Sept. 14. Rookie defensive lineman Travis Jones, meanwhile, returned to practice for the first time since he suffered a knee injury in the Ravens preseason game at Arizona on Aug. 21. At the time, head coach John Harbaugh speculated that Jones would be sidelined 3-5 weeks.
Defensive end Calais Campbell and linebacker Justin Houston missed practice with rest days, while fullback Patrick Ricard sat out with a calf injury. Cornerback Brandon Stephens (quad) and wide receiver James Proche (groin) were limited.
RAVENS SIGN VETERAN CB TO PRACTICE SQUAD: The Ravens have signed veteran cornerback T.J. Carrie to the practice squad after placing cornerback Kyle Fuller on injured reserve with a knee injury. Carrie has played for eight seasons, the past two with the Indianapolis Colts. He spent four years with the Oakland Raiders and two with the Cleveland Browns and has made 54 career starts.
The Ravens opened up a practice squad spot by elevating outside linebacker Steven Means to the 53-man roster. The Ravens had two spots on the 53-man roster after placing Fuller and offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James (Achilles) on injured reserve. Both suffered season-ending injuries in the Ravens’ 24-9 Week 1 win at the New York Jets.
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