The Baltimore Ravens are heading to Miami to take on the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football after picking up their first win in six weeks on Sunday, Oct. 26. Despite their 2-5 record, Baltimore feels more confident than ever coming off of it’s win over the Chicago Bears.
“I feel like we’re all rejuvenated,” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said on Tuesday, Oct. 28. “Got a little time away so it was very beneficial for everyone… we all know who we are and who we need to be play in and play out and game in and game out.”
Though it’s a short week for both the Ravens and the Dolphins, Baltimore has the advantage after having it’s bye in week seven.
“It’s what the schedule says so it’s more so about coming out and just doing your job,” Smith said. “It’s a game that we’re going to be very prepared for.”
Not only do the Ravens have the rest advantage over Miami, they will also have their superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson back in the mix for the first time in over a month as he’s worked through a hamstring injury he sustained in week four.
“It’s very exciting having [Jackson back],” Smith said. “His name and his resumé speaks for itself, so when you have someone like that, it says what it says and we’re a lot better team when he’s out there on the field.”
Ravens Hope Jackson’s Return Sparks a Run
It’s safe to say the Baltimore Ravens played like one of the worst teams in the NFL for a three weeks stretch after Jackson exited their week four game against Kansas City. When Jackson exited the Chiefs game, the offense sputtered and they lost 37-20. The next two weeks saw Baltimore get blown out 44-10 by the Houston Texans and then get suffocated in a defensive battle in a 17-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Cooper Rush played the majority of snaps in Jackson’s absence and was just awful, throwing zero touchdown passes and four interceptions to the tune of a 48.8 passer rating. Baltimore turned to Tyler Huntley coming out of the bye week, and he delivered for the team, leading them to victory with 176 yards in the air and 53 on the ground.
Now that Jackson is back, the Ravens offense should get back to the juggernaut it was for the first three weeks, when it averaged 37 points per game. Facing a below average defense in Miami, and with Jackson claiming to be back at 100 percent, there is a real chance the former MVP will absolutely light the Dolphins up.
Baltimore Shockingly Still Favored to Make Playoffs Despite Record
Pretty much any 2-5 football team would be all but counted out of playoff contention halfway through the season, but Lamar Jackson’s effect on the Ravens’ offensive ability is so potent that Baltimore still sits at -140 to make the playoffs, according to Draft Kings.
Not only are they -140 to make the playoffs, they are also -130 to win the AFC North. That’s how much odds makers believe in Lamar Jackson.
It does help that the Bengals and Steelers just can’t seem to get out of their own ways. It looked like Pittsburgh had put itself in the drivers seat to win the division after a 4-1 start, but back-to-back losses against Cincinnati and the Green Bay Packers have them sitting at 4-3 with the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts waiting for them this week.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati absolutely choked away what should have been a layup win over the now 1-7 New York Jets. A win over New York would have put the Bengals at 4-4, just a half game behind the Steelers for the division lead. Now at 3-5, a loss this weekend and a Ravens win would send them all the way down to third place and in a very precarious spot outside the playoff picture.
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