Dolphin game predictions?

[RavensDomination]

Haven't seen any yet, so here I go...

I like the match up, much better than the Colts match up anyway. I don't think they'll be able to run on us like they have been doing to other teams. Pennington can make short throws but isn't much on the deep ball, hopefully this will allow Ed Reed to play closer to the line and get a few turnovers. They don't have any receivers that scare me. They remind me of the Titans but not as good on defense.

The big question mark again is will our o-line give Flacco enough time to see the field? Being a rookie he is a little slower and needs a little more time. If we can't hold up on the o-line its going to be like the Titans game where every point matters and Flacco will cough it up at least once. Stover worries me in this regard.

I think the game is decided by turnovers, and given the way the Ravens have been turning the ball over you have to like the Dolphins in this game. Nonetheless, being a complete Ravens homer, I'll say our defense pulls in some turnovers of their own and we win the game, 17-14.

[Jeremiah W]

I agree with the notion they are like the Titans but not as good on O line or defense. They do have some good LBs and they are a decent defense, but they do not get a rowdy home crowd, and they do not hae a D line that should give us the same type of troubles the Steelers and Colts did on the road.

They have great RBs and a smart accurate QB. They have enough speep and size at Wr and TE to be a very dangerous possesion offense. This will be a good test for us, but a much better matchup than Indy. Our front 7 is the best in the NFL and they should be able to contain the run game and force 3rd and longs this team will not execute nearly as effective as Peyton and the posse.

The Ravens O is going to face the 4-4 defense until they show the vertical threat. This should be a team we can block long enough to get guys open down the seems, Flacco has to prove he can read a saftey and hit a seem route or we will not win another game. That pattern will be open all day on one side or the other, he has just got to find it and get enough protection to let a WR or TE get 20 yards down the middle of the feild.

If we can just get into the redzone I think the run game and short accurate passing Joe has shown will get us some TDs, while Miami will have a very tough time stretching the defense enough to open up running room.
Ravens 21
Dolphins 10

[pyite32]

and they do not hae a D line that should give us the same type of troubles the Steelers and Colts did on the road.

This thinking is a mistake, the Dolphins will send everything at stopping the run and getting after our rookie QB. They will dare us to pass and this is where mistakes are made

Our front 7 is the best in the NFL and they should be able to contain the run game and force 3rd and longs this team will not execute nearly as effective as Peyton and the posse.

Our front seven is not the best in the NFL. Our linebackers can't cover anyone, and our d-line gets no pressure on QBs. Miami will short pass us all day just like the Titans did on the final drive. The short passes to Ronnie Brown are going to kill us.

The Ravens O is going to face the 4-4 defense until they show the vertical threat. This should be a team we can block long enough to get guys open down the seems, Flacco has to prove he can read a saftey and hit a seem route or we will not win another game. That pattern will be open all day on one side or the other, he has just got to find it and get enough protection to let a WR or TE get 20 yards down the middle of the feild.

This I agree with. Flacco has not shown that he can throw a good deep ball yet unfortunatly. There is a big question on whether our receivers can even get any separation to get open deep.

If we can just get into the redzone I think the run game and short accurate passing Joe has shown will get us some TDs, while Miami will have a very tough time stretching the defense enough to open up running room.
Ravens 21
Dolphins 10

With our secondary Miami will make plays, I don't think it will open up much of a running game for them though. We will continue to rush Pennington, not quite get to him, and leave our DBs to fend for themselves. The DBs will get burned if Rex doesn't change his game plan.

Dolphins 17
Ravens 3

[Ravenswarrior19]

The short passes to Ronnie Brown are going to kill us.

I am of the opinion that short passes to Ronnie Brown may, in fact, kill Ronnie Brown.

[RavensDomination]

I am of the opinion that short passes to Ronnie Brown may, in fact, kill Ronnie Brown.

haha, I agree. I like our short passing defense, we usually seem to be strong in that department. The only thing that kills us sometimes is how often we blitz, although I understand with Rex's philosophy that's how it's gonna be. But anyway, that's why I kind of like this match up, they don't really go deep much and the deep ball is what kills us.

As a side note, I wonder why Rex wouldn't try to use Suggs or someone like that on the outside to jam Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne, especially considering the Colts passing attack is based so much on timing. It seemed to work against the Bungles.

[Ravenswarrior19]

As a side note, I wonder why Rex wouldn't try to use Suggs or someone like that on the outside to jam Marvin Harrison or Reggie Wayne, especially considering the Colts passing attack is based so much on timing. It seemed to work against the Bungles.

I was thinking the same thing. Especially when Reggie lined up in the slot. He was killing us, so why not put a LB out there to jam him? If Suggs can jam a quick guy like ChadOchoCino, he could get Reggie too.

[HoustonRaven]

Dolphins will stack the box to stop the run, that's a given.

Game will come down to Flacco and his "corp" or pseudo-WR's. And now he's been dirting screen passes and over throwing 10 yrd out plays. Add that to our track record with road games this season and it makes for a bad day.

14-10 Dolphins in a snoozer.

[Ravenswarrior19]

It'll be a game of who makes less mistakes.

We'll blow a coverage on a Wildcat trick play (7pts.), and Flacco will throw a pick that the D will cover up (0pts.) Other than that, we'll shut them down all day, and Ray will put Ronnie Brown in the hospital. (My Fantasy team! Nooooo)

For them, a Chad Pennington wobbler will get picked and converted to a L'Train McLain TD (7pts). And in the closing minutes, a Joey "All Bark, No Bite" Porter PF will give Stover all the yardage he needs to start redeeming himself (3pts.)

Final - Ravens 10 Miami 7

[RAVENOUS52]

Flacco looks pretty demoralized and overwhelmed right now.

Porter is having a DPOY type season thusfar and has elevated that defense (something that surprises the hell out of me) to an elite level.

It all rests in the rookie's hands. I think if he can avoid silly turnovers, the game will be low-scoring and competitive. If not, I wouldn't want to be him the next time the Ravens play at home. You know the drunk naysayers will give him the Boller treatment.

[TheExtraPoint]

I know a lot of people jumped ship Monday morning after a really awful performance by the Ravens in Indianapolis. But I'll submit that if the first four games were any indication, that performance was a perfect storm aberration, and not sign of things to come.

Like every game before it thus far this season, and likely every game from here on out, this weeks game will be won or lost in the trenches.

On offense, when Joe Flacco has time to throw, and isn't flushed out of the pocket, he has been extraordinarily accurate and smart with the football, especially considering his rookie status. His interceptions have come almost exclusively on plays where he's broken the pocket for lack of protection, and made poor decisions or flat out bad throws while on the run.

Flacco's escapability is a plus, but it sometimes leads him into unpredictable circumstances which has created turnovers. He will continue to get better in this regard, as he learns which throws he is best at making in the NFL, gets comfortable throwing from different arm angles, and recognizes which times he'd be best suited to tuck and run with or throw away the football. Decision making is crucial for an NFL quarterback - I think Flacco will prove to be a good decision-maker as his career progresses. And that is something that takes time, especially considering where he came from collegiately.

But back to the matter at hand, in order to win games in the present, while Flacco continues to learn, they are going to have to keep him clean and in the pocket. And he must be complimented by a commitment to an efficient running game, which the Ravens have not had in their last six quarters of football. Offensive BALANCE is important for any football team to be successful.

Defensively, I believe you can trace the Ravens struggles specifically to a lack of a pass rush. This defensive team is successful when it rushes the passer relentlessly, forcing bad decisions, rushed throws, and turnovers from opposing offenses. Since the first half of the Ravens-Steelers Monday night football game, the pass rush has completely evaporated. When the Ravens are at their baddest, they are unloading on opposing quarterbacks. When they struggle, it's because they don't get to him enough. It's that simple.

Like it always has been in the NFL, games are won and lost in the trenches. After being absolutely dominant the first two weeks of the season in this area, the Ravens have struggled to protect the quarterback, open running lanes for our backs who need it to succeed, or pressure the opposing quarterback with any consistency.

Just like the Giants used a ferocious pass rush to upset the heavily favored Patriots in last years Super Bowl, the Ravens will rely on that same formula for success this season. But they have to execute it!

When that turns around, so too will the end result. I expect the Ravens to get a little bit of their swagger back over the next four weeks.

There is not a game on the schedule that the Raven's aren't capable of winning, dependent largely on the play of their lines. With four very winnable games on the slate the next four weeks (MIA, OAK, HOU, CLE), the Ravens could head into a huge matchup with the Giants healthier than they have been most of this season, and potentially on a hot-streak.

It's still very, very early, and I'm not sure any team in the NFL has specifically proven themselves to be heads and shoulders above any other team in the league (other than perhaps a 5-0 Titans team the Ravens trailed for less than 2 of a total 60 minutes less than two weeks ago). I truly do expect things to start getting better this week.

I think the Ravens get back on the winning track in convincing fashion.

Ravens 27
Dolphins 13

[Rayvens52]

I think we come back strong this week and we will not be burned by the college style offense they are running down there

Balt 17
Mia 3

[Jeremiah W]

Yeah like Extra said.

The Dolphin D is not as good as ours is at defending the deep ball. That is where we are going to have to attack. The rules of no contact and easy pass interference make going deep a much safer throw than the underneath stuff that is much more likley to be tipped and turned into a TD, particuarally when there is an 8 man front clogging the slant/ curl zones throwing lanes.

Porter is a good pass rusher, and Starks is a nice pocket pushing DT with quickness, but we should be able to block these guys a whole lot better than the Indy front and the Steelers.

Pennington is a nice QB. He throws the short pass as accurate and catchable as anyone, but he also stares down the hot route and does not have good arm strength. He is very prone to tip pass picks and leading the saftey right to the ball.

The Ravens have to be willing to stack the box and not blitz to beat them. Ginn is the only speed guy, and even if he gets behind C Mac like Harrison did, Pennington will not be able to lead him 50 yards down feild.

The Ravens pass rush has been getting pressure and QB hits, but not getting the sacks. Peyton Manning and Ben R are very good at getting rid of the ball though, and so is Collins. The Ravens need to get back to the bump and cover scheme that led to the #1 ranking in defense. They did not do it hardly at all on any of the game losing drives or TDs in Indy, but shut down most of the best offenses in the NFL while playing the bump and bracket coverage. I think they will figure out what is working and what is not on D and shut this team down like they did the Steelers and Titans, and hopefully finish them off this time.

Good Dolphin highlights from week one loss to the Jets and gameplan we should emulate.


http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80ab2bee