BALTIMORE — It was the biggest game of the year in the AFC, the Miami Dolphins at the Baltimore Ravens, and for a while it delivered on the expected excitement.
But that excitement didn’t last long as the Ravens pounded the Dolphins, 56-19, in a New Year’s Eve battle that fizzled after it briefly sizzled.
Baltimore had a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs while Miami had a chance to clinch the AFC East title.
Miami had a few key injuries such as wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle), running back Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle) and right guard Rob Hunt (hamstring).
Things got worse for the Dolphins when cornerback Xavien Howard left the game in the first quarter with a foot injury and didn’t return, and then edge rusher Bradley Chubb went down with what looked like a serious knee injury in the fourth quarter.
So now it all comes down to next week against the Buffalo Bills to decide the AFC East title, and what seed Miami will be in the playoffs.
Here are some more takeaways from Sunday:
Dolphins beating a 2022 playoff team on the road
The Dolphins, under coach Mike McDaniel, entered Sunday’s game with a 2-8 road record against teams that made the 2022 playoffs. They’re now 2-9 against such opponents, which doesn’t bode well for Miami’s Super Bowl hopes because they’d have to win a road playoff game.
Last season the Dolphins beat Baltimore and lost to Buffalo (twice), Cincinnati, San Francisco, and the Los Angeles Chargers. This season they defeated the Chargers and lost to Buffalo, Philadelphia, Kansas City (in Germany) and Baltimore. — Chris Perkins
Fourth-and-5, and fourth-and- both work in first half
Each team converted a fourth down in the first half in dramatic fashion, showing it’s never over with either of these offenses.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hit wide receiver Tyreek Hill on a 25-yard gain on fourth and five from the Baltimore 45-yard line as Hill went up to make a dramatic grab. The drive resulted in a 38-yard field goal from kicker Jason Sanders as the Dolphins cut their deficit to 14-13.
Later, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Pompano Beach native, hit wide receiver Isaiah Likely on a 35-yard touchdown reception as Likely made a spectacular one-handed catch and run with safety Jevon Holland as the closest defender. The Likely touchdown followed a Tagovailoa interception, which came on a spectacular one-handed grab by linebacker Roquan Smith.
Tua’s first INT (and second) in four games
Tagovailoa’s second-quarter interception by linebacker Roquan Smith was his first interception since the New York Jets game, a span of four games. Smith made an impressive one-handed catch on a pass intended for wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr.
The Ravens turned the turnover into a touchdown and a 27-13 lead.
Tagovailoa threw a third-quarter interception that was tipped by Smith, went over the head of Hill, the intended receiver, and into the arms of safety Geno Stone. That turnover resulted in a Ravens three and out.
Dolphins lose another challenge
Coach Mike McDaniel threw a red challenge flag on a 32-yard reception to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. that got the Ravens to the 2-yard line.
McDaniel entered the game 2 of 11 on challenges, including 1 of 5 this year.
McDaniel fell to 2 of 12 on challenges, 1 of 6 in each season.
Achane springs to life
Rookie running back De’Von Achane, who rushed for 107 yards and had 137 yards from scrimmage, supplied early offensive fireworks with eight touches for 91 yards in the first quarter. He compiled those first-half numbers on seven carries for 68 yards, including a 45-yard run, and one reception for 23 yards.
Achane burst onto the scene with a 203-yard rushing game against Denver, 101 yards at Buffalo, and then 151 against the New York Giants, and by averaging 12.1 yards per carry through his first four games.
But then he had to sit out for four games on injured reserve with a knee injury, played one game, and then had to sit out one game with a toe injury.
Dolphins struggle against Harbaugh … keep that in mind
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh has Miami’s number. Harbaugh is now 8-3 against the Dolphins, including 5-2 in Baltimore. The Ravens have won five of the past six against Miami at M&T Bank Stadium.
Miami might have to go through Baltimore to get to the Super Bowl.
Running back/run game situation
Miami rushed for a respectable 142 yards on 21 carries led by Achane’s 107 yards on 14 carries. Veteran running back Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle) was inactive. Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. had 21 yards on three carries, but the Dolphins almost had to vacate the run game in the second half because they trailed, 28-13, at halftime and then quickly fell behind, 35-13.
Miami entered the game No. 5 in rushing offense at 136.4 yards per game but the ground game was never allowed to be a factor.
Tua isn’t a difference-maker
Tagovailoa ended 22 of 38 for 237 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and a 71.9 passer rating.
Tagovailoa was sacked twice before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a left (throwing) shoulder injury.
Tagovailoa, playing without Waddle and Mostert, wasn’t a factor in the game.
Tyreek 2K
Hill ended with 76 yards on six receptions, meaning he now has 1,717 yards receiving. He needs 283 yards in the finale against Buffalo to reach a NFL-record 2,000 yards. Hill had 1,710 yards last year, one fewer than this year. He reached last year’s total in 17 games. He’ll only play 16 games this year if he plays next week.
Handling Lamar Jackson didn’t go well
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson ended 18 of 21 for 321 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. He also rushed for 35 yards on six carries.
Jackson entered the game with 19 touchdown passes, seven interceptions and a 97.2 passer rating and 786 yards rushing.
Tua Tagovailoa and Dolphins’ difficulty defeating playoff teams persists
The win over the Dallas Cowboys was a quality victory, but Sunday was the 19th game Tua Tagovailoa has started against a team with at least a .588 win percentage (what a 10-7 full season is), and Miami fell to to 6-13 (.316) in such games. Tagovailoa’s stats in the 19 games: 363-607, 3,972 yards, 24 TD, 16 INT, 81.4 passer rating, 10 fumbles, 302 net points (15.9 net points per game). — Steve Svekis
Tyreek Hill passed four stars to break an NFL record in Baltimore
With his 76 receiving yards against the Ravens, Tyreek Hill became the first player in NFL history with multiple seasons of at least 1,699 yards receiving. Hill’s now second-best seasonal receiving-yardage output of 1,710, beat out ex-Steeler Antonio Brown and his 1,698 yards (in 2014), which was second best to his 1,834 in 2015. Other receivers’ second-bast total that Hill passed on Sunday: Marvin Harrison (1,663 in 1999), Julio Jones (1,677 in 2018) and Calvin Johnson (1,681 in 2011).
Now that Dolphins have the club sacks mark for a season, how do they stack up vs. the rest of the NFL?
With their 53 sacks heading into Game 17, well past the Dolphins’ previous best of 49, they are tied for the 90th-best season in NFL history. A look at where further sack numbers would put the Dolphins: 54: tied for 78th; 55: T58; 56: T50; 57: T37; 58: T35; 59: T30; 60: T22
On deck: Buffalo Bills, Hard Rock Stadium, TBA*
This game’s complexion has changed vastly with the Dolphins’ loss in Baltimore and the Bills’ defeat of the Patriots. Now, the Dolphins need to defeat or tie Buffalo to win the AFC East, or else they will be the sixth-seeded wild-card team, with a trip to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs on deck one week later. The Dolphins-Bills game also will almost assuredly get shifted to one of the designated national-TV slots next weekend (Saturday at 4:30 or 8:15, or Sunday at 8:20).