Ravens vs. Dolphins: Full Game Grades for Baltimore
The Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins faced off in a Week 14 matchup of playoff contenders looking to boost their chances of making it to the postseason.
Baltimore entered the game at 7-5 with a chance to ascend to one of the two wild-card spots in the AFC by week's end.
In turn, the 7-5 Dolphins entered this game holding the No. 6 seed in the AFC, hoping they could keep their lead for a playoff spot with a win.
Early on, it looked like this one could turn ugly for Baltimore. The Dolphins scored on their first two offensive possessions, highlighted by Ryan Tannehill hitting Brian Hartline for a three-yard score to give Miami a 10-0 lead.
From there however, Baltimore's defense would stiffen up and hold the Dolphins to just three points the rest of they way. Elvis Dumervil recorded 3.5 sacks, and the defense suffocated Tannehill and the rest of the Dolphins offense the rest of the game.
On the other side, the Ravens offense didn't get going until late in the second quarter. After a Miami punt pinned Baltimore at their own three-yard line, the Ravens went on a 12-play drive that culminated with Joe Flacco hitting Steve Smith for a one-yard score.
That trimmed Miami's lead to just 10-7. On the opening drive of the second half, Baltimore once again marched down the field before Flacco hit Kamar Aiken for a 13-yard score.
That gave the Ravens a 14-10 lead they would not relinquish, though Miami did get a field goal early in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to just 14-13.
However, Baltimore responded with a nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Justin Forsett running for a two-yard score.
That gave Baltimore a 21-13 lead, and after the defense got another stop, the Ravens went right down the field again before Flacco scored on a one-yard run.
Baltimore's defense would keep Miami from scoring the rest of the way, and the Ravens earned a much-needed 28-13 win.
Here are my grades for each Ravens unit.
Quarterback
1 of 9
Joe Flacco didn't get off to the greatest start in this one, and it looked like his poor play would bury the Ravens early.
He was wild and erratic on many of his throws in the first half, highlighted by a critical interception thrown in the red zone in the first quarter.
However, that pick came right after Flacco had hit Steve Smith for what should have been a touchdown but was dropped.
Flacco would lead the offense down the field on a scoring drive right before halftime, as he hit Smith for a two-yard score to cut Miami's lead to 10-7.
He did the same to open the second half, leading the Ravens down the field before hitting Kamar Aiken for the score to put them up 14-10.
He would lead them back down the field again in the fourth quarter before sneaking it in at the 1-yard line for the score.
Flacco scored three times and was key to Baltimore's win.
Grade: B+
Running Back
2 of 9
Justin Forsett continued his torrid pace with another big performance that helped propel Baltimore to a much-needed win.
Forsett gained 71 yards on just 13 carries to go with one score. He had a key 44-yard run in the second half that lead to a Ravens score. He also chipped in two catches for seven yards.
Bernard Pierce came up big with 50 yards on just three carries, and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro rushed seven times for 35 yards.
In all, Baltimore backs gained 156 yards on just 23 carries, and they were the MVP of the offense.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 9
The Ravens receivers got off to a slow start, but they came up big as Baltimore surged past the Dolphins.
Steve Smith had a big day, but he also dropped an easy touchdown catch in the first quarter. Flacco threw an interception right after that, and Baltimore went from a possible seven points to none.
Kamar Aiken had the best game of his young NFL career, catching six balls for 65 yards and the go-ahead score in the third quarter.
Marlon Brown also chipped in three catches for 30 yards. Torrey Smith was active in this game, but he was rarely on the field, as it appeared his knee injury was still bothering him.
In the end, the receivers did just enough for the Ravens to get the win.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 9
The Ravens offensive line was dominant in this game, and it was a big reason why the offense was unstoppable once it found its rhythm.
Baltimore rushed for 183 yards and two scores on 31 carries (5.9 yards per carry). Their ability to keep opening up running lanes allowed the backs to gain big chunks of yardage early and often.
The line was also solid in pass protection, keeping Joe Flacco clean for most of this game. Miami got just one sack and one QB hit, and it was rarely able to even touch Flacco with how well the line was blocking.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 9
This was the first game Baltimore played this year without All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. He was suspended for the final four games of 2014 after failing a drug test.
That forced rookie Timmy Jernigan into the starting lineup, and he and the rest of the defensive line performed well without their best player.
Going against a top-10 rushing offense, Baltimore shut down the Dolphins ground game throughout the contest. Miami gained just 63 yards on 16 carries, as Baltimore was constantly bottling up Dolphins running backs close to the line of scrimmage.
Though the Dolphins didn't go to their rushing offense much in this one, the Ravens shut it down when they did.
Grade: A-
Linebackers
6 of 9
Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Ravens linebackers were the best unit on the field for either team Sunday.
Yes, the Ravens reminded everyone why this is the best linebacking unit in football as they suffocated the Dolphins offense.
Outside linebackers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil were nearly unstoppable, recording a combined five sacks and six QB hits. They also chipped in four tackles for loss and 10 tackles, and they were all over the field.
Rookie inside linebacker C.J. Mosley registered a team-high eight tackles to go with a sack and a tackle for loss. Baltimore backers accounted for all six sacks in the game, and while the Ravens running backs were the offensive MVPs, the linebackers were the MVPs of the game.
Grade: A+
Secondary
7 of 9
The Ravens secondary entered this game beat up and depleted by injuries. Just this week, rookie cornerback Tramain Jacobs was placed on season-ending injured reserve.
In this game, defensive back Anthony Levine was taken out with a concussion, while Danny Gorrer suffered a potentially serious knee injury.
Despite all of this, Baltimore's secondary had a solid performance in this one, though the linebackers and defensive line playing well made life easy for the defensive backs.
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for just 223 yards on 33 pass attempts. Even when he had time to find an open receiver, Baltimore's DB rarely gave up big yardage.
Miami receivers gained just 125 yards and one score. When Baltimore's secondary plays well, this defense is nearly impenetrable.
Grade: B
Special Teams
8 of 9
As always, the Ravens special teams unit was solid in nearly every facet. Kicker Justin Tucker didn't attempt a field goal, but he converted all four of his extra points.
Punter Sam Koch had four punts for an average of 45.3 yards per attempt. Miami had just three punt returns for 12 yards.
Miami did gain an average of 30.5 yards per kickoff return, though they only had two returns. In the end, Baltimore's special teams were solid, as they've been most of this year.
Grade: B+
Cumulative Grade
9 of 9
Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
QB | B+ |
RB | A |
WR/TE | B |
OL | A |
DL | A- |
LB | A+ |
Secondary | B |
ST | B+ |
Cumulative Grade | A- |
This was an outstanding performance by Baltimore, and it led to a 15-point win on the road against a Dolphins team that was holding a playoff spot.
As of now, Baltimore is in seventh place in the AFC and one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers for the sixth and final wild-card spot.
Though there's still work to be done, this was exactly the kind of game Baltimore needed to get back into the playoff picture.
Had the Ravens lost this one, their playoff hopes would have taken a crushing blow. As it turns out, the Ravens are now in great position to make it to the playoffs.
With home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns in addition to a road game versus the Houston Texans, Baltimore is in excellent shape heading down the final stretch.
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