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| Friday, September 15 By Joe Theismann Special to ESPN.com | |||||||||
The Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins have two of the league's best defenses. The difference, though, is that the Ravens are one of the most complete teams in the league.
1. Don't give up big plays Miami goes into this game offensively with a new quarterback in Jay Fiedler, with questions at running back, and with a shortage at receiver, especially with Martin out. There is no question that the Dolphins' deficiency is on offense. If the Dolphins allow the Ravens to get big scoring plays, the Miami offense will have a tough time mounting a comeback. 2. No mistakes early Dan Marino is having his number ceremoniously retired, so the focus will be on the former quarterback. The problem is that if Fiedler makes mistakes early, everybody will be sitting around saying, "When is Dan going to get dressed?" So Fiedler will need to minimize his mistakes early, keep the Dolphins in the game, and keep the Dolphins fans from yearning for Marino's return. 3. Run the ball A week after running for 181 yards against Seattle, the Dolphins were unsuccessful running the ball against Minnesota, gaining only 49 yards on the ground. Until they do find success on the ground, teams will load up against the run. Minnesota decided to play a lot of people at the line of scrimmage, and it worked well. The Dolphins need only 85-90 yards rushing, which would help them get a few opportunities to make big plays down the field. The Ravens cornerbacks, Duane Starks and Chris McAlister, got lit up last week against Jacksonville. Miami can't miss on its opportunities. Baltimore Ravens 1. Commit to the running game The Ravens expect to give rookie Jamal Lewis, now that his elbow is healing, a lot more carries than he had the first two weeks. He gives the Ravens a nice complement to Priest Holmes. In order for Banks to make big plays, he needs some help from Holmes and Lewis. 2. Get Sharpe involved Tight ends Shannon Sharpe and Ben Coates have been huge additions to the offense. Sharpe will be a key as the year goes on because people can't ignore the middle of the field. If they have to respect the middle of the field and protect it, that means the Ravens' speed on the outside, with rookie Travis Taylor and Patrick Johnson, can lead to big, explosive plays. The Ravens were finally able to capitalize with Sharpe on the game-winning touchdown pass last week. But just Sharpe's presence has to be accounted for. 3. Stuff the Dolphins run The Ravens defense needs to do against Miami's run game what Minnesota did. Basically, just take the run and force Fiedler to make plays. Lamar Smith had nowhere to go against the Vikings, with only 27 yards on 11 carries. | ALSO SEE
ESPN's Take: Ravens, Dolphins get defensiveWeek 3 injury report ESPN experts' picks for Week 3 Mort: Ravens banking on Banks | ||||||||
