In an ugly game from start to finish, a Xavien Howard scoop and score sparked a Miami Dolphins fourth-quarter surge to upset the Baltimore Ravens at home, 22-10.
Lamar Jackson & Co. simply had no answers for the Dolphins’ man-heavy defense. In addition, Baltimore's defense let its foot off the gas even when the game was within reach.
Click here for more PFF tools:
Rankings & Projections | WR/CB Matchup Chart | NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings
Miami Dolphins
Quarterback
Jacoby Brissett started the game for Miami with Tua Tagovailoa still receiving from a finger injury on his throwing hand. Brissett completed just 11-of-23 passes for 156 yards and took two sacks before exiting the game with a knee injury. He should finish PFF’s review process with a sub-60.0 PFF grade for his middling effort.
Tagovailoa replaced the injured Brissett and helped captain Miami's comeback win. He started off a bit sluggish but rallied down the stretch, completing 8-of-13 passes for 158 yards. He also moved the chains on five of his eight completions.
Running Backs
Miami's rushing attack was virtually non-existent. Myles Gaskin led the team with 14 carries but only recorded 31 rushing yards and zero broken tackles. Gaskin did add another 14 yards on his lone reception, but he also dropped his other target.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
| Name | Position | Routes | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Yards Per Route Run |
| Albert Wilson | WR | 17 | 4 | 87 | 5.12 |
| Adam Shaheen | TE | 16 | 3 | 34 | 2.13 |
| Mack Hollins | WR | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Ford | WR | 9 | 4 | 84 | 9.33 |
| Preston Williams | WR | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Durham Smythe | TE | 10 | 1 | 23 | 2.3 |
| Jaylen Waddle | WR | 40 | 4 | 61 | 1.53 |
The highlight of the game for the Dolphins’ pass-catchers was Albert Wilson‘s 64-yard reception when the Ravens left him uncovered on a blown assignment in man coverage that set up Tagovailoa’s game-clinching touchdown run:
64 YARDS. Tua Tagovailoa to Albert Wilson for a clutch big gain. #FinsUp
📺: #BALvsMIA on NFLN/FOX/PRIME VIDEO
📱: https://t.co/svgTJkbKF5 pic.twitter.com/2jTbDWfCFx— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2021
Isaiah Ford finished second, behind Wilson, in receiving yards with 84 and also had an explosive 52-yard reception just before the half ended.
Offensive Line
None of the Dolphins offensive linemen should finish PFF’s review process with a grade above 70.0. The blocking in the run game was below average across the board. Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hunt allowed 11 pressures combined while the other three Miami starters allowed eight combined pressures.
The lone highlights for the group were Eichenberg recovering a fumble and Hunt diving into the end zone on a play nullified by an illegal touching penalty.
THIS NEEDS TO COUNT 🗣🗣
pic.twitter.com/FotC7Hi8xZ— PFF (@PFF) November 12, 2021
Defensive Line
Christian Wilkins put on a show defending the run and should finish PFF’s grading reviews with an 85.0-plus run defense grade. Fellow defensive tackle Zach Sieler also turned in a strong performance against the run and should have a 70.0-plus PFF grade when reviews are complete.
Linebackers
Veteran Jerome Baker led Miami's linebacker group in total snaps played with over 60, but he failed to make a big impact. While he did total three defensive stops, he allowed some plays in coverage and got called for a costly roughing the passer penalty on what would turn out to be a Ravens 99-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
Secondary
Byron Jones will get charted with the most yards allowed in coverage, but none of the Dolphins' defensive backs were significant liabilities on the back end. Howard will finish reviews as the highest-graded cornerback due in large part to his scoop and score in the fourth quarter.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Jackson was constantly under pressure and rarely had opportunities to throw to open receivers against the Dolphins’ man-heavy, blitz-happy defense. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman failed to make any adjustments to bail out his quarterback. Jackson took four sacks and completed just 3-of-12 attempts with an interception on throws 10+ yards downfield.
Running Backs
Jackson led the team in rushing with 39 total yards on nine carries. Veteran Devonta Freeman led the team in carries (10) but totaled just 35 yards and one broken tackle. Le’Veon Bell followed suit with three broken tackles but just one yard on his three carries.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Baltimore’s pass-catchers struggled all night long to create separation down the football field and saw a low percentage of accurate passes even when coming open on underneath routes.
Rookie Rashod Bateman led the group with 80 receiving yards on his six receptions, but it wasn't enough to lead the Ravens’ passing attack out of its rut. Veteran Sammy Watkins had the most notable play of the group when he coughed up the fumble that led to Howard's scoop and score in the fourth quarter. That was Watkins’ only reception on three targets.
| Name | Position | Routes | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Yards Per Route Run |
| Sammy Watkins | WR | 16 | 1 | 7 | 0.44 |
| Eric Tomlinson | TE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Duvernay | WR | 31 | 4 | 28 | 0.9 |
| Josh Oliver | TE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Andrews | TE | 45 | 6 | 63 | 1.4 |
| Miles Boykin | WR | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marquise Brown | WR | 43 | 6 | 37 | 0.86 |
| Rashod Bateman | WR | 32 | 6 | 80 | 2.5 |
Offensive Line
A lot of the pressure on Jackson came on free rushes or situations where he held onto the ball for too long.
Center Bradley Bozeman will likely be the only Ravens offensive lineman who finished PFF’s review process with a pass-blocking grade under 70.0. The run game, however, was a different issue, as all five offensive linemen earned run-blocking grades below 65.0 on first review.
Defensive Line
Veterans Justin Houston and Calais Campbell were men amongst boys in the trenches and should both finish reviews with 85.0-plus PFF grades. Houston and Cambpell both recorded five pressures apiece. The rest of the Ravens’ defensive line won’t clear 70.0.
Linebackers
Patrick Queen should finish PFF’s review process with the highest single-game PFF grade of his career. He had a team-high six total pressures and recorded a forced fumble and near recovery on a Tagovailoa sack. He also added two other defensive stops and missed zero tackles versus Baltimore.
Secondary
Chris Westry and Tavon Young both played outside in limited snaps against Miami. Anthony Averett also recorded two forced incompletions and allowed receptions on just 5-of-11 targets on first review. The issues in coverage for Baltimore were more often blown assignments or questionable penalties than actually getting beat down the field.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.