- WHERE: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.)
- WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET
- HOW TO WATCH: Prime Video, NFL+
It's not hard to find the negatives for Miami and Baltimore this season. Yet last week, the Week 9 combatants each turned in statement victories, snapping three- and four-game losing streaks, respectively.
The Dolphins thumped the Falcons in Atlanta and dominated the run game. The Ravens beat the Bears, winning without Lamar Jackson for the first time this season.
Can either the Ravens or Dolphins turn a victory on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium into a launching pad for the back half of the season? Jackson is expected to return for Baltimore, facing former Ravens player and coach Anthony Weaver, who's now coordinating Miami's defense.
The Dolphins are 1-2 at home. The Ravens are 0-2 on the road. Something must give.
Three must-know storylines
1) All eyes on Lamar
Lamar Jackson, who has missed three straight games with a right hamstring injury, is expected to start on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium, not far from where he grew up in Pompano Beach, Fla. Jackson had 11 TDs (10 passing, one rushing) and only one INT prior to his Week 4 injury, but the Ravens were 1-3 with him starting. While Jackson is 3-1 all-time in return-from-injury games, per NFL Research, he has a 71.0 passer rating and six passing TDs and seven INTs in such games. However, he's dominated the Dolphins in his career. In fact, there have been only 10 QB games in NFL history with five or more TD passes and three or fewer incompletions, and Jackson has two of them against the Dolphins. Miami's defense, led by ex-Raven Anthony Weaver, has roundly struggled this season, allowing four 400-plus yard games and intercepting only one pass. The past two games, however, have been a massive improvement, as they have held the Browns and Falcons to a combined 423 yards, with Atlanta only rushing for 45 yards. It will be a far different type of challenge vs. Derrick Henry and the elusive Jackson, but how healthy will Jackson's hamstring be? The Ravens have a pretty healthy offense for the first time in a while -- Ronnie Stanley (ankle) is one injury to watch, though -- but everyone wants to know if the same old Lamar will be back.
2) Can Tua, Dolphins run game keep humming?
Tua Tagovailoa had been in a slump entering Week 8, with one TD pass and six INTs in his previous two games, with his job status seemingly up in the air. But Tagovailoa threw four four TD passes against an Atlanta defense that had only allowed seven all season, looking sharper than he had in some time. He was precise and deadly all game. But the big changes came in the run game, which featured far more gap runs than zone runs, and the Dolphins prominently featured six-OL looks last week for the first time all season. Mike McDaniel promised changes if needed, and he delivered. It was more effective than it was explosive, but it would be surprising if McDaniel didn't lean on these personnel packages again and didn't try to feed the RB trio of De'Von Achane, Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright again. Each of them had nine or more carries Sunday. The Ravens' defense is in as good of shape as it has been in, but six-OL formations have given them a little trouble this season so far.
3) Ravens defense might be turning the corner
Starting with a far better performance against the Rams before the bye, the Ravens have shown improved effectiveness defensively. In Weeks 1-5, Baltimore allowed 35.4 points and 408.8 yards per game, with a total of two takeaways. But since then, the Ravens have allowed only 16.5 ppg and 306.5 ypg, with two turnovers forced in the past two games. Roquan Smith was all over the field this past Sunday against his former Chicago team, Nate Wiggins made his biggest play of the season with a key fourth-quarter pick against the Bears and Kyle Hamilton has lifted the entire unit since his return. The biggest worry is the pass rush. The Ravens' season leaders in pressures are Odafe Oweh, who was traded to the Chargers in Week 5, and Tavius Robinson, who is on injured reserve. Rookie Mike Green had his first sack of the season in Week 8, but the pressure against Chicago was sub-par. Luckily for the Ravens, Tagovailoa has thrown the most interceptions in the NFL this season when not pressured, with seven. If the Ravens can control Miami's run game and contain Jaylen Waddle -- with Tyreek Hill and Darren Waller on IR -- they should be in decent shape even if the pressure isn't consistently fierce.
Ravens' Week 9 injury report
| Player | Game status | Mon. practice | Tues. practice | Wed. practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teddye Buchanan, LB (calf) | --- | LP | FP | FP |
| Lamar Jackson, QB (hamstring) | --- | FP | FP | FP |
| Ronnie Stanley, OT (ankle) | --- | LP | LP | FP |
| T.J. Tampa, Jr., CB (shoudler) | --- | LP | FP | FP |
| Nate Wiggins, CB (groin) | --- | LP | FP | FP |
Dolphins' Week 9 injury report
| Player | Game status | Mon. practice | Tues. practice | Wed. practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elijah Campbell, DB (quadricep) | --- | FP | FP | FP |
| Bradley Chubb, LB (shoulder/foot) | QUESTIONABLE | DNP | LP | LP |
| Ashtyn Davis, S (quadricep) | DOUBTFUL | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Dee Eskridge, WR (shoulder) | QUESTIONABLE | DNP | LP | FP |
| Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (thumb) | --- | FP | FP | FP |
| Julian Hill, TE (ankle) | OUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| Alec Ingold, FB (neck) | --- | FP | FP | FP |
| Jason Marshall, Jr., CB (hamstring) | QUESTIONABLE | FP | FP | FP |
| Ifeatu Melifonwu, S (thumb) | QUESTIONABLE | LP | LP | FP |
| Tua Tagovailoa, QB (left thumb/illness) | --- | FP | FP | FP |
| Dante Trader, Jr., S (shoulder) | --- | FP | FP | FP |
| Malik Washington, WR (knee) | --- | FP | FP | FP |
