Ten thoughts on Ravens 26

Ten thoughts on Ravens 26

Baltimore 26, Dolphins 23.

So they lost a tight one they could have won. And they have issues at pass protection (six sacks Sunday, 24 for the year) and running the ball. But they 3 2 going into the bye week and anyone would have taken that in August.

2. Play of the game: You can go with the Dumervil sack. But I making it two earlier plays by Baltimore Terrell Suggs on the same series. Here was the situation: The Dolphins with the ball at their 26 with 5:26 left in a tie game. On first down, Suggs shoved left tackle Jonathan Martin back into Tannehill and sacked him for a 4 yard loss. On third down, he went Cheap NFL Jerseys to the other side and shoved right tackle Tyson Clabo back to sack Tannehill. So the Dolphins had to punt from their 16 to give Baltimore a shorter field and set up the game winning field goal. That so many big plays were made on sacks again screams the Dolphins need to shore up their protection and Tannehill has to become more aware in the pocket.

3. Dion Jordan has been used selectively this season for reasons that make sense, but his game changing play Sunday showed why you can expect to see much more of him as the year goes on. Rushing from the right side, he got enough push so his long reach could get to Joe Flacco. He tipped Flacco hand or the ball on the throw, causing it to pop up like a short fly to center field. Reshad Jones caught it and ran it back 25 yards for a touchdown.

4. In today NFL, you don have to be great at running the ball. You have to be serviceable at running and effective at short yardage plays for first downs. The Dolphins struggled on Nike NFL Jerseys both counts Sunday. On the game first possession, Mike Wholesale Jerseys China Wallace caught a 9 pass on first down. Lamar Miller tried right tackle for no gain followed by right end for no gain. That made them 3 of 7 on third and 1 this year. Miller ended up with 7 carries for 15 yards. You can't have glaring weaknesses like that.

5. The 12th Man for the Dolphins is typically the sun. But they couldn tap it in Sunday second half and the third down efficiency tells why. Baltimore was 6 of 16. The Dolphins were 3 of 16. In other words the Dolphins defense couldn get off the field enough and the offense couldn stay on it. That was telling in the third quarter when the Ravens ran 28 plays and the Dolphins ran nine. In that third quarter, Baltimore was 3 of 4 on third downs and the Dolphins 0 for 2. Time of possession for the game:Baltimore 36:16 to the Dolphins: 23:44

6. Cameron Wake tried to go Sunday and couldn Then the defense lost linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Cornerback Dmitri Patterson has been out all season and Nolan Carroll bruised his ribs in the third quarter and was in and out.

7. All the talk was the first five games could sink the Dolphins because of its difficulty. And you know what? It was as difficult as advertised in many ways so the 3 2 record is fine. Look at the opponents. Cleveland started 0 2 and has won three straight. Indianapolis followed losing to the Dolphins by beating San Francisco and Seattle. New Orleans is undefeated. And Baltimore is 3 2. Only Atlanta is 1 Nike NFL Jerseys sales 3 among the starting five and they're no easy out.

8. Sunday was a day you noticed the every Wholesale Jerseys Sunday strength of having Brandon Fields. In a tight, defensive game field position was key. Fields was the biggest weapon in that. He averaged 54.5 yards on Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale five punts, which is heady stuff. On one third quarter punt, he purposely put it 39 yards to the Ravens 6 yard line. Now throw in Baltimore Sam Koch punting four times for a 35.8 yard average (and, no, these weren shortened punts inside the 20). So the Dolphins had a 19 yard average gain on punts in a game where field position was prime.

9. You can quibble about officiating all the time. But back to back pass interference calls against the Dolphins looked shaky and contributed to the first Baltimore touchdown in the third quarter. Nolan Carroll went up with Deonte Thompson for a pass that was slightly thrown to Carroll side. He did bump Thompsons shoulder. But you seen worse go uncalled. That went for 38 yards. One play later, Brent Grimes seemed to have perfect position in the end zone on Torrey Smith, but called Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap for a penalty that went 17 yards and set up an easy touchdown. I think the Dolphins will be sending both vidos to the league, not that it matters much at this point.

10. Next week: Bye. It always comes at a good time for teams, and the Dolphins can use it to collect themselves and get players healthy, notably Cameron Wake and Dmitri Patterson. So they should be rested for the Oct. 20th game at Sun Life against Buffalo. If New Orleans had the highest degree of difficulty on the season, this wholesale nfl jerseys should be the easiest. Manuel (knee) back.