Team Grades: Dolphins Smack Ravens Back To Reality
By Samuel Njoku
The Ravens, winners of two straight, were in an ideal situation heading into Sunday's game. A win would have gotten them a step closer towards an improbable trip into the postseason. Unfortunately for them, the Miami Dolphins had other plans as they defeated Baltimore 15-13.
Offense: D
The Ravens offense was hard to watch on Sunday, this is especially true for the passing game. Matt Schaub looked uncomfortable for most of the game; that has a lot to do with the play of the offensive line. The Dolphins were able to get pressure on the Ravens QB largely due to the play of James Hurst and Rick Wagner. Both struggled to consistently keep Schaub clean in the pocket and it led to some disastrous results. Schaub threw another patented pick-6 that ended up being the difference in the game. When a team such as Baltimore is without so much talent due to injury, it's hard to recover from plays like that.
The running game was a bright spot as Buck Allen made plays with large holes created from the play of Kelechi Osemele and Marshal Yanda. But Baltimore was unable to take advantage of the run game as they were only able to put 13 points on the board.
Defense: B+
It's a real shame that the Ravens weren't able to get things going on offense, the defense played great football and did everything in their power to help the team win. The linebackers were relentless. Daryl Smith, who lead the charge with nine tackles, and the rest of the linebacker unit helped keep the Dolphins in check. They were asked to do a lot because the Dolphins ran the ball early and often. The defensive line didn't do a great job of keeping the running backs in check as Miami was able to run for 137 yards.
The secondary continued their strong play for the fifth straight week. The secondary held Ryan Tannehill to just 87 yards passing. That's impressive no matter who's under center for the opposing team. That stat makes the loss all the more depressing for Ravens fans.
Special Teams: B-
Sam Koch launched a 67 yard punt to switch the field position battle in Baltimore's favor. That was a huge play in the early portions of the football game. Justin Tucker was 2-for-3 on the day, but the 55-yard miss that would have likely won Baltimore the game looms large in this one.
Coaching: C
Going for it on 4th down early on may appear to be a poor choice now, but I'll never fault a coach making a decision like that when their team is 4-7. Failing to go to Jimmy Clausen when Matt Schaub was visibly hurt is what may have cost the team in this game. Schaub wasn't the same after it appeared he suffered a head injury.
Now that Baltimore is all but out of the playoff race, it'll be interesting to see how the team plays the last four games. Will they fight hard to end the season or sleepwalk their way into the finish line?
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.
