The Ravens looked fresh yesterday in their 26-10 win over the Miami Dolphins after their bye week.  Baltimore’s defense looked shaky at the beginning of the game, but controlled Miami when it mattered most. Here are my thoughts on Baltimore’s sixth win of the season.

  • Balance from the offense – Boy was it good to see the Ravens spread the ball around on offense.  Joe Flacco threw 27 passes and the Ravens ran the ball 39 times (including four attempts from Flacco).  Ray Rice was able to accumulate 83 yards and LeRon McClain was used to bruise the Dolphins defense late in the game.  Rice also had seven receptions for 97 yards, an area of Baltimore’s offense that hardly has been used this season despite how dangerous it can be.  I especially liked seeing the end around from David Reed, who the CBS announcers talked up about his future in purple an black.  For possibly the first time this season, I can say I was happy with the offensive attack from Cam Cameron and the Ravens.
  • Defense stepped up – Miami’s offense, though very middle of the road in the NFL, has some weapons that defenses fear.  They’re two top running backs, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, keep defenses on their toes while Chad Henne is able to hit Brandon Marshall down field.  The Ravens were able to shut down the run game holding Brown to just 59 yards, over 40 of which came on the opening drive, and Williams to just one.

  • Josh Wilson was the unsung hero – The secondary looked phenomenal yesterday and if I was handing out a game ball it had to be to Josh Wilson the cornerback from Maryland who the Ravens picked up from Seattle earlier this season.  Wilson hasn’t seen much playing time, but he stepped up with a big interception (unfortunately for zero points) and stopped Miami’s receivers, including Brandon Marshall all day long.  I hope we get to see more Wilson in the future.
  • Special teams good and bad – The Ravens special teams had a good and bad day.  They failed to convert a field goal in the first quarter after Sam Koch bobbled the snap and Billy Cundiff missed a 37 yard field goal after an awesome 4th down conversion on a pass from Sam Koch to Cary Williams on a fake punt.  But Cundiff continues to boot the ball into the end zone while kicking off.  The Ravens have to find a way to be more consistent on special teams to beat the elites in the NFL.

What were your thoughts on Baltimore’s win against the Dolphins?