Ravens Showed Dominance In 38-6 Win Over Dolphins
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco implores his coaches to stay aggressive when they have the lead and to keep attacking teams downfield.
They finally listened to that advice and Flacco delivered a dominant performance.
Flacco threw for 381 yards with four touchdowns and Baltimore snapped the Miami Dolphins' six-game winning streak with a 38-6 victory on Sunday. The Ravens now appear to be a dangerous team heading into the final four games of the season.
"I thought Joe just played phenomenally well," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Joe and the offensive line got the game balls in the locker room. I thought his vision was phenomenal. He moved around and made plays on the run. Guys made catch-and-run plays. It just looked like you want it to look."
Baltimore (7-5) won four of its past five matchups and remains atop the AFC North. The Dolphins (7-5) were looking to win eight straight games for the first time since 1985, but dampened their playoff hopes instead.
Ravens' tight end Dennis Pitta had nine catches for 90 yards with two touchdowns. Pitta, who dealt with two devastating hip injuries, reached the end zone for the first time since Dec. 8, 2013.
"I had a couple of touchdowns today, but I thought I've been producing all year," Pitta said.
Baltimore running back Terrance West caught a 3-yard touchdown pass and ran for a 9-yard score in the fourth quarter.
Flacco completed a franchise-record 36 passes to 10 different receivers with an interception.
"The line obviously did a really job," said Flacco, who did not endure a sack. "When (the Dolphins) were playing zone, there were some holes. I had time to sit back there and drill them in. That was big. Scoring in the red zone, putting the ball in the end zone when we got down there, was huge. This game starts up front with your offensive line and I think they played really well today."
Pitta's fumble early in the fourth quarter was recovered by Miami at the Ravens' 8-yard line. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill found DeVante Parker in the corner of the end zone on the next play. That ended the Ravens' bid to earn their first shutout since 2009.
Flacco responded on the ensuing drive with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman for a 31-6 lead with 12:49 left in the game.
The Dolphins simply could not manage any momentum against the Ravens' No. 2-ranked defense, which allowed just 277 total yards.
Tannehill threw for nine touchdowns with just one interception over the team's winning streak but struggled early and often against the Ravens, completing 29 of 40 passes for 226 yards with three interceptions.
"We just didn't play well, but there's still a lot of football left for us," Tannehill said. "We made physical mistakes and communication mistakes. This could be a good learning opportunity for us."
Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi finished with 61 yards on 12 carries. He has been held to under 80 yards in the past four games. Miami's Jarvis Landry managed 87 yards on 11 receptions.
"We'd been on a streak and hadn't tasted defeat in a long time," Ajayi said. "So, we lost today and it's tough. It's a weird feeling. We're used to winning, but it's okay. We'll get past this and start a new streak."
The Ravens opened a 7-0 lead on the opening drive when West caught a 3-yard touchdown from Flacco. After Miami's Andrew Franks missed a 46-yard field goal attempt wide left, Baltimore made them pay when Flacco threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Pitta.
The Ravens later converted a fourth-and-2 on an 8-yard pass from Flacco to Steve Smith. This set up another 9-yard touchdown pass to Pitta, capping an 18-play, 8:57 drive.
"The Ravens had a great offensive day against us," Miami defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. "Flacco did a great job getting the ball out quickly before we could get near him."
Justin Tucker made a 55-yard field goal as time expired to boost Baltimore's lead to 24-0 at the half. Tucker has made 35 consecutive field goals, including 28 this season.