Opponent Profile: Dolphins Will Look To Expose Weak Ravens Secondary
By Samuel Njoku
Even the most optimistic Ravens fan realizes that one more loss from this organization and their playoff hopes are pretty much over. Every game from here on out is a must-win game for Baltimore. Their first test features a game against the Miami Dolphins, a team also looking to secure a playoff berth.
Dolphins on Offense:
The Dolphins don’t have quite as potent as an offense as the New Orleans Saints or the San Diego Chargers, but you’d be foolish to underestimate this football team. Miami possesses a number of skill players that can wreak havoc on a defense that is struggling such as the one that currently resides in Baltimore. For starters, their quarterback Ryan Tannehill has the ability to give defenses fits if given the opportunity. He will have to be treated as a dual threat quarterback though the number of scrambles he takes as declined over the past couple of seasons. His big play target, Mike Wallace, should be familiar to most Ravens fans as he was once a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’ll be the one that gives coaches sleepless nights as they try to figure out how to stop him from blowing past their cornerbacks for huge chunks of yards.
The Dolphins may try to keep the Ravens defense honest by handing the ball off to Lamar Miller, but the Ravens do a great job of stopping the run. Miami’s best chance against the Ravens will be to have Tannehill move the ball through the air against a porous Ravens secondary. Baltimore knows this and will try to limit his production. Of course as we’ve seen this season, that’s easier said than done.
Dolphins on Defense
The Ravens did a great job of moving the ball down the field against the San Diego Chargers. They may have a bit tougher time getting it done against the Dolphins with Brent Grimes at cornerback. Grimes has proven to be one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL and Miami will likely use him to blanket Torrey Smith who has been exceptional the past few games. Baltimore will combat this by using a lot more of Justin Forsett. Moving the ball on the ground will not only limit mistakes for the offense, but also keep guys like Mike Wallace off of the field.
Dolphins Coaching
Joe Philbin was hired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins on January of 2012. He has a record of 21-22 as the head coach of the Dolphins. Miami leads the All-Time head to head against the Ravens at 6-3. However, Baltimore has won the last 3 meetings.
For more Ravens news and updates, visit Ravens Central.
Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.