Mike Preston: Dolphins’ revamped offense will answer concerns about Ravens defense | COMMENTARY

Immediately after beating the New York Jets, the Ravens will facial area a respectable workforce Sunday in their dwelling opener from the Miami Dolphins.

The Ravens performed perfectly in the next half of their 24-9 season-opening victory, but the get was fairly tainted simply because it arrived versus the no-fantastic, god-awful, basement-dwelling Jets.

Miami will be a stage up in top quality, specifically following it convincingly conquer the New England Patriots, 20-7, in Week 1. There is particular desire in this matchup since the Dolphins blitzed the Ravens seriously and pressed their receivers in a 22-10 victory very last season, revealing a blueprint other teams copied in slowing down quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The highlight is also on the Ravens’ defense right after it performed perfectly last week inspite of letting 378 yards of whole offense. Two issues that stood out Sunday had been the Ravens’ workforce speed and how nicely they could mix and match coverages.

But all over again, that was in opposition to the Jets, a group Baltimore powerhouse St. Frances Academy would give a challenging video game. The Dolphins and their revamped offense below to start with-12 months mentor Mike McDaniel will be a lot more of a problem.

The West Coastline offense is very little new in the NFL, but velocity is even now a major staple of any scheme, and Miami has lots of it.

“Offensively, to your point, it is the San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan, kind of grew out of the outdated Gary Kubiak offense, and now Sean McVay, all all those guys are variety of in the identical spouse and children, and that is what this is,” Harbaugh mentioned of the Miami offense. “It’s in the same tree that we saw past week, in terms of what they do, how they work, a lot of the phrases they use are the exact same, the scheme is effectively the identical, but they’ve changed it.

“They’ve accomplished a great occupation down there, and Coach McDaniel has performed a terrific job of tailoring it to their gamers, tailoring it to their quarterback [Tua Tagovailoa]. He’s performed a excellent occupation, will get the ball out fast. A lot of RPOs, for the reason that he’s very good at that, a large amount of movement passes.”

Miami has two standout receivers, which includes Tyreek Hill, who could possibly be the quickest participant in the NFL. In a few game titles from Baltimore when he played for the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Hill had 16 catches for 230 yards and a single touchdown.

Hill was traded to Miami on March 23 in exchange for 5 draft picks, and that paired him with another speedster in Jaylen Waddle, who caught 104 passes for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie last season.

In Miami’s earn in opposition to the Ravens last year, Waddle caught 4 passes for 61 yards and continuously burned cornerback Marlon Humphrey on the outdoors. Humphrey has been usually regarded as just one of the league’s prime corners, but the Ravens have problems defending rapid receivers on the outdoors even with Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters on the area. Peters’ standing for Sunday is however in doubt as he recovers from a torn ACL experienced right before the get started of previous period.

“They have two of the swiftest receivers in football enjoying for them,” Harbaugh claimed, “and two jogging backs who run that scheme incredibly very well, and what I suggest by that is the vast-zone-kind plan. So, that is type of how they’re crafted on offense.”

Against the Jets, the Ravens arrived up with many distinct coverages, like enjoying cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Brandon Stephens on the outside with Humphrey lining up inside of. They employed Marcus Williams and Chuck Clark at security, but occasionally experienced Williams in the middle of the industry to cope with the deep third on your own.

The Ravens have two fast cornerbacks in rookies Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion “Pepe” Williams, but it is not likely they’ll match up against Hill a single-on-one particular. They may well get more playing time, although, with Fuller out for the period just after tearing his ACL late in the next 50 % versus the Jets and Stephens dealing with a quadriceps personal injury.

A single factor you will not have to get worried about: defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald won’t depart his cornerbacks in as lots of susceptible just one-on-1 conditions as predecessor Don “Wink” Martindale since he does not blitz as a great deal. Speedsters like Hill and Waddle can improve the complexion of a game in seconds, and they were being introduced in to assist Tagovailoa in having more yards following the catch.

A 12 months back, Miami had a compact-ball passing match, one particular that consisted of shorts routes. Now, the Dolphins use a very little bit of all the things, like run-move possibilities, crossing routes, comeback routes and bootlegs. A large amount of it is predicated off participate in motion.

There are nevertheless fears about Tagovailoa’s arm power, but McDaniel is predicted to get in touch with extra downfield passes than the past coaching routine. The Dolphins get the ball to Hill as lots of strategies as possible with jet sweeps, bubble screens, slants, tosses and reverses. That ought to be a further issue for the Ravens.

Miami also has exceptional velocity to the edge in running back Raheem Mostert. Occasionally the Dolphins just toss the ball to the former keep track of star to get him exterior the tackles quickly.

“Any time you face persons like that, it’s a difficult obstacle, and you’ve just received to give respect wherever it is owing,” Ravens inside of linebacker Patrick Queen reported. “So, the major factor for us is just to occur out there, take excellent angles to the football with everyone operating to the ball at the stack and just consider to get these men on the ground — get photographs on them.”

The Ravens’ front seven was very lively versus the Jets. They pursued the ball immediately simply because they didn’t get knocked off their ft. It is just one issue to get conquer bodily at the line of scrimmage, but pursuit is about drive. Queen, outside linebacker Justin Houston and defensive linemen Calais Campbell and Justin Madubuike dogged Jets quarterback Joe Flacco all working day.

Even nose deal with Michael Pierce was producing tackles to the far side of the area. Safeties Williams and Clark played firm operate support.

The Ravens’ defensive line has the edge against Miami’s offensive line. Each Dolphins tackles, Terron Armstead (toe) and Austin Jackson (ankle), are working with accidents, and middle Connor Williams is inconsistent snapping the ball.

The big concern is can the Ravens engage in that well again on defense for a 2nd straight week?

Tagovailoa will undoubtedly be extra cell than Flacco. How will Macdonald keep up against McDaniel, a highly regarded participate in caller in the course of the league?

Is Miami’s velocity also much to cope with?

The only matter we know for sure is this: The Dolphins are superior than the Jets, at the very least on paper.

7 days 2

DOLPHINS@RAVENS

Sunday, 1 p.m.

Tv set: Chs. 13, 9

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

Line: Ravens by 3 1/2

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