NFL Week 9 contenders: Sunday considers Patriots, Lions, Seahawks
Lorenzo Reyes is 7-2 with picks over the past three weeks. He’s back with his predictions for the Week 9 game.
- Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson returned from a hamstring injury and threw for 204 yards and four touchdowns.
- The loss has reportedly increased pressure on Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, putting his job security in jeopardy.
- Baltimore’s victory closes the gap with the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North.
The Baltimore Ravens provided further evidence that they’re on their way to, if not quite, back on Thursday night with a 28-6 beatdown of the sinking Miami Dolphins in their first game of Week 9.
Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson certainly looked like he was back to full strength, playing for the first time in over a month since injuring his hamstring in Week 4 against Kansas City. His presence and unparalleled ability seem to have further stabilized a team that is finally recovering from a season-long slump.
What about the fins? Yes, as always, the winners and losers were far beyond what was obvious on the scoreboard, so let’s unpack the subset.
winner
lamar jackson
After a surprisingly lackluster performance against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the two-time league MVP was predictably dominant against the Dolphins, a team he has historically crushed. Jackson completed 204 yards passing, at one point making nine consecutive throws in the second half, scoring four touchdowns, and looked healthy enough while passing, even though he didn’t have to leave the pocket much. Jackson, who had a passer rating of 143.2 on Thursday, has scored 140 or higher in four of the five games against Miami.
Ravens tight end
Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kohler had seven receptions, 105 yards and three TD grabs, with Andrews scoring two of them. When they and Jackson are firing on all cylinders, it’s a dangerous group – and they could officially dispel the idea that Andrews might be moved ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
geran phillips
The four tackles and sack of the always elusive Jackson provided a nice closing argument for competing teams looking to acquire the top pass rusher ahead of the tradeoff on Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. ET. Phillips, who is set to become a free agent after the season, could be ready to increase his asking price even more in the coming weeks. if He will join a better team in the coming days where he can further showcase his talents.
derrick henry
Having Jackson back helped, with Henry rushing for 119 yards. Much of that came in big chunks (4 of 19 carries for 81 yards). In fact, this is the second time in the last three games he’s reached the century mark, providing yet another silver lining in Baltimore’s rise.
loser
mike mcdaniel
Miami coach and general manager Chris Grier has received more attention than any other player in the league when it comes to his employment situation. Just four days after giving them some reprieve with an inspiring performance in a 34-10 win over Atlanta, the Dolphins once again looked lifeless in front of clearly disillusioned fans at Hard Rock Stadium.
“I think we came here to play,” McDaniel said afterward, but his tone somewhat belied that assertion, especially after a second half in which his team didn’t inspire.
Want to sum up this game? Miami turned the ball over three times, and Baltimore didn’t turn it over once. The Dolphins were unable to convert on any of their three red zone chances, while the Ravens converted on all three of their chances. Games, sets and matches.
In normal times, it might make sense to fire a coach who walked dead after Thursday night’s game, but it’s equally likely that McDaniel will be out at least until Week 11, when the team plays in Madrid, after which it might be more logical for Stephen Ross to pull the trigger during the team’s full bye week. Still, the owner left the box early on a night when his team was less competitive, and when the fans who showed up were vocal (bags over their heads or not) and headed for the exit well before the final gun.
tua tagovailoa
After he drove Prime Video analyst and former teammate Ryan Fitzpatrick to work, everything went downhill. Tagovailoa seemed to be exaggerating by wearing a visor – his teammates were at least vocally supportive of it in the days before the game – but apparently, after protecting his swollen eye, he ran out of luck in Atlanta. On Thursday, a wide-eyed Tua gained an inefficient 261 yards and gave nothing to suggest he or his coaches are the long-term solution for this franchise.
pittsburgh steelers
In four days, the Ravens regained a one-and-a-half game lead over the AFC North leader. If the Steelers can’t deal with the explosive Indianapolis Colts and a league-best 7-1 record Sunday at Acresure Stadium, that gap could continue to shrink. Add in Baltimore’s mini-bye and four more losing teams in a row before hosting Pittsburgh on Dec. 7, and it’s becoming clear why oddsmakers are favoring the Ravens to retain the division title despite a 3-5 start.
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit
It is certainly permissible to make a slip of the tongue during a dog game. Perhaps that’s why Michaels confused “Miracle at the Meadowlands” with “Monday Night Miracle,” and why Herbstreit invoked “Push Touch.” Carson Wentz pardons you guys, good luck next week in Denver.
derrick henry
Why do the Ravens keep running “push-tucks” with Andrews, even though it looks so ugly and predictable? Apparently it’s a better option than handing the ball to Henry in short-yardage situations due to long build-up speeds or flawed blocking.
world series
Avoiding prime-time NFL matchups in general is one of the few strategies Major League Baseball seems to employ, which explains why the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers were on the road on Sunday and Thursday. But Shohei Ohtani, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and others probably could have taken the NFL to the woods on this night…but they’re instead relegated to drawing the attention of the coveted 18-34 demographic on Friday and, hopefully, Saturday night.
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