After a miserable start to the season, the Baltimore Ravens made a statement with a dominant victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Ravens have now won two consecutive games, bringing their record to 3-5 and drawing level with the Cincinnati Bengals for second place in the AFC North.
With star quarterback Lamar Jackson back at the helm, the Ravens look much more competitive and are back fighting for a playoff spot. The victory against the Dolphins proves just how dangerous the Ravens can be when both sides of the ball are at their best.
Ravens Make a Statement
Lamar Jackson is Back
After sustaining a hamstring injury in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Jackson was forced to sit out and watch as his team lost two winnable games. His absence exposed just how vital he is to Baltimore’s offense, as the unit significantly struggled without him. In his return, Jackson went 18/23 for 204 yards and four passing touchdowns, proving that he remains one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks when healthy.
Now that he is back, Jackson is happy to be winning with the Ravens again.
“I just wanted to get out there with my guys, even for the Texans game, but unfortunately I couldn’t, but it’s just great to be back and get a W,” Jackson said
From now on, every game must be treated as a must-win if the Ravens want to be only the fifth team ever to make the playoffs after starting the season 1-5.
“It’s do or die, win or go home. Usually, we start off winning games and we’re never behind, but right now we’re behind and we’ve all got to step it up,” Jackson said.
Defense Making Game-Changing Plays
Ever since the Ravens acquired safety Alohi Gilman from the Los Angeles Chargers, the defense has become much more solid and has started forcing turnovers. Before Gilman joined the roster, the Ravens were giving up 35.4 points per game; they are now giving up just 13. Not only is Gilman a talented player, but he also allows for All-Pro Safety Kyle Hamilton to have more freedom in the defense, which is having a massively positive impact.
Head coach John Harbaugh is loving what he is seeing from the Defense recently.
“I think the defense played great. We talk about the ball assaults —we haven’t had enough of them. We’ve been trying, but we couldn’t get the ball. So to get the three today, first time we’ve gotten multiple turnovers in a game, that was really big,” Harbaugh said.
Malaki Starks is Starting to Show His Value
First-round rookie safety Malaki Starks managed to snag his first interception. This is the second week in a row where Starks has shown massive signs of improvement and is showing he can hold his own in this Ravens defense.
Can the Ravens Continue to Build Momentum
The last two weeks have been must-win games, and the Ravens have risen to the challenge each time, especially with the dominant win against the Dolphins. Fans are wondering if they can continue to stack wins and are hoping the Ravens make a statement next week against the Minnesota Vikings
As long as Lamar Jackson is on the field, the Ravens always have a chance, and if the defense can continue to thrive, then the sky is the limit for this team.
Main Image: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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