Ravens know December football
The Dolphins were one of the surprise teams in the league, having won six straight, but they didn't resemble a playoff team.
Meanwhile, the Ravens breathed new life into their own season because the offense put up 38 points and 496 yards, finally matching another dominating defensive performance.
But the key word here is “intensity,” especially on the Ravens' offensive line. Playoff-caliber teams turn it up a notch in December. The Ravens stepped up.
Miami stepped back.
“Getting to the playoffs is a big-time accomplishment, and to position yourself in December to play these meaningful games is also a big-time accomplishment, and you can't take it for granted,” Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. “You've got to keep your focus 100 percent of the time.”
Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill agreed with Flacco.
“When you play meaningful games in December,” he said, “every team's intensity level is higher.”
Except for the Dolphins'.
Their winning record was suspect, because several of their recent wins were against teams such as the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers. The Ravens have had their own softies on the schedule — the Cleveland Browns twice and Jacksonville Jaguars — but they also have proven veterans such as Flacco, guard Marshal Yanda, receiver Steve Smith Sr. and linebackers Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs.
They have been in the playoff hunt throughout most of their careers. Miami's last playoff appearance was after the 2008 season. Some of the Dolphins might not have understood there is a mental switch that must go on in December.
“We all understand it is December football, and you have to win a lot of games down the stretch to become relevant,” Yanda said. “That playoff itch is definitely in the back of us, and bringing everybody along with us is as important as ever.”
The Ravens know about that mentality. But it's obvious in other ways, such as the way Yanda has worked with rookie left offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.
Ravens safety Eric Weddle, who played nine seasons for San Diego before coming to Baltimore this year, talked about how the team challenged safety Lardarius Webb four weeks ago. Webb responded with a great interception in the end zone Sunday to stop a Miami scoring drive.
“We put a lot of pressure on him about four, five weeks ago, and said, ‘Hey, you've got to pick it up. You've got to be a great player for us.' He's the rangy free-safety type that we need in this defense to make plays, to erase plays in the back end, and he's really coming into his own,” Weddle said.
The Ravens, despite all their problems this season, have that type of camaraderie and chemistry. They also have more talent than Miami.
Let's face it. The Dolphins were pathetic. Their pass defense was atrocious, especially in the middle of the field. They were soft in press coverage. They had quit by the end of the third quarter and they made the Ravens look like world-beaters. But the Ravens did some nice things in this game.
And with time, Flacco picked apart the Dolphins. He looked poised in the pocket. He set his feet. He went through his progressions and looked off defenders. He threw passes over the middle for touchdowns inside the red zone.
Of course the Dolphins had problems, but the Ravens made progress. On defense, it has become expected that the Ravens will shut down the other team's running game, but they did a good job on Miami, which has a decent receiving corps. Cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Tavon Young were aggressive, and Weddle and Webb tackled well. If they continue to improve, the Ravens will have a dominant defense.
But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Ravens put together a 60-minute game for the first time this season. It's only one game. They've had moments of brilliance before, only to fall apart minutes later.
But because the Ravens have been in the postseason hunt before, December is usually a special month in Baltimore.
The Dolphins found that out Sunday.
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