Ravens now have inside track to AFC North title after 'TNF' demolition of Dolphins

What began as a contest between a pair of two-win teams finding their footing turned into a 28-6 Baltimore Ravens blowout over the Miami Dolphins.

After missing the last three games with a hamstring injury, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looked like his old self, completing 78% of his passes and throwing four touchdowns. His return helped unlock the team’s trusted two-tight-end attack, as both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely delivered their best games of the season. 

Meanwhile, the defense made life difficult for Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, forcing three turnovers and preventing them from scoring in the end zone. With a 14-6 second-half lead, the Ravens handed over the ball to running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 119 yards — his highest yards-per-carry since Week 1. 

This is the Ravens team we expected to see all season, and although they still sit in third place in the AFC North, they have a clear path to their third consecutive division title. 

Why the Ravens should still be considered AFC North favorites 

Although a slow start was expected with early-season matchups against the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, few could have predicted how badly things would go for the Ravens. The signs of trouble were evident from the beginning when they blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead to the Bills in the opener, then allowed 38 points in a Week 3 loss to the Lions. A Week 4 blowout at Arrowhead saw Jackson suffer an injury, and backup Cooper Rush proved overmatched in the following two games, managing only 13 points in losses to the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams. 

The Ravens entered their bye week at 1-5 and in perhaps their most challenging position of the Harbaugh/Jackson era, but the week off turned out to be exactly what they needed. Although Jackson wasn’t ready to return in their Week 8 matchup against the Chicago Bears, the Ravens' battered defense received a much-needed boost with the returns of linebacker Roquan Smith and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. Meanwhile, fullback Patrick Ricard helped open the way for two Henry rushing touchdowns in his first game of the season. The bye also allowed injured stars like safety Kyle Hamilton and tackle Ronnie Stanley, who both missed the Week 5 meltdown against the Texans, to rest and recover. It’s no coincidence that Thursday night was both the Ravens' healthiest game of the season and their most complete. 

While skeptics may argue that victories over average Bears and dysfunctional Dolphins don’t prove the Ravens' resurgence, their upcoming schedule presents few obstacles. Each of their next four opponents has a losing record, suggesting they could easily be 7-5 before a critical Week 14 showdown with the first-place Steelers. And while the Ravens seem to be improving, their AFC North rivals are starting to falter. 

The 4-3 Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed a total of 68 points in consecutive losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers, primarily due to a secondary that has surrendered the most passing yards in the NFL. Despite their strong defense, the Browns' ineffective offense makes them a non-factor. Although QB Joe Flacco has energized the Bengals' passing game, their 39-38 loss to the New York Jets in Week 8 showed that no quarterback can overcome their league-worst defense.