Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET | Broadcast: Prime Video | Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
When the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins meet, chaos usually follows. From Tua Tagovailoa’s surprise second-half heroics off the bench in 2021, to his unforgettable comeback performance a year later, and then Lamar Jackson’s 300-yard dismantling of Miami in 2023 — the past three meetings have been anything but predictable.
Thursday night’s primetime clash (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) at Hard Rock Stadium feels no different. Both teams enter at 2-6, desperate for a spark as the season’s midpoint looms. The Dolphins, buoyed by their most complete effort of the year in last week’s 34-10 rout of the Falcons, look to build momentum against a Baltimore squad hoping to climb out of an early-season hole.
For the first time this season, Miami put it all together. Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes to four different receivers, the defense stifled Atlanta’s fourth-ranked rushing attack to just 45 yards, and the offensive line paved the way for 141 team rushing yards.
Head coach Mike McDaniel credited the team’s renewed focus on physicality — something that had been missing during Miami’s sluggish start.
“We challenged them to win at the line of scrimmage,” McDaniel said this week. “That’s where our identity begins, and it finally showed.”
That physicality will again be tested against a Ravens team that thrives on trench battles. The Dolphins know they must handle Derrick Henry, who’s averaging over four yards per carry since joining Baltimore, and maintain discipline against Jackson’s dual-threat ability.
The Ravens expect Lamar Jackson to return Thursday night after missing three games with a hamstring injury. His absence contributed to a four-game losing streak, though backup Tyler Huntley steadied the ship last Sunday with a win over the Bears.
Now, Baltimore hopes its star quarterback can help spark a late-season push. The odds are steep — only four teams since the 1970 NFL merger have made the playoffs after starting 1-5 — but the schedule provides opportunity. The Ravens’ next five opponents are a combined 11-28.
Still, this week presents challenges: a short turnaround, a long flight to Miami, and memories of a 2021 Thursday night stumble, when a 6-2 Ravens team fell 22-10 to a 2-7 Dolphins squad that went on to finish with a winning record.
For Ravens receiver Zay Flowers, Thursday marks a homecoming. The Fort Lauderdale native will play in front of family and friends for the first time since entering the NFL. Flowers torched the Dolphins last year in Baltimore, catching a 75-yard touchdown from Jackson during the Ravens’ 56-19 blowout win.
With Jackson back, Flowers could once again play a key role in stretching Miami’s secondary.
Tagovailoa, meanwhile, will again don the protective visor he wore last week — a result of a swollen left eye that nearly kept him from starting against Atlanta. The look didn’t hurt his vision; Tua looked sharp and poised, dissecting the Falcons with precision passing and confident pocket movement.
If he maintains that rhythm against Baltimore’s aggressive defense, Miami could finally see a winning streak take shape.
This series has swung wildly in recent years — and with both teams desperate to save their seasons, Thursday night feels like another turning point.
The Dolphins are trying to prove last week wasn’t a fluke. The Ravens, with Lamar Jackson back under center, are fighting to stay alive.
If history is any guide, expect another wild chapter under the lights in Miami.
