Ravens Capitalize on 5 Dolphins Turnovers
AFC Playoffs Wild Card Weekend: Baltmore Ravens 27 Miami Dolphins 9
Baltimore won their Wild Card playoff game at Miami (27-9) last Sunday by virtue of outstanding defensive pressure and turnovers.
The Baltimore Ravens had the Miami Dolphins and Chad Pennington under pressure throughout the game as they forced four interceptions, including one returned 64 yards for a touchdown by Ed Reed, and won 27-9. Reed led the defense with 2 interceptions, while Jim Leonhard and Fabian Washington each accounted for the other two. Pro Bowl selection, Terrell Suggs recovered the Dolphins fumble. Pennington was sacked three times.
The Dolphins led the NFL this season with the fewest give-aways (13).
With the victory, the Ravens advance to the AFC divisional round and play the top-seeded Titans in Nashville.
Baltimore Ravens 27 Miami Dolphins 9 - Sunday, January 4, 2009
The Dolphins took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a 19-yard field goal by Carpenter to cap an 8-play 50-yard drive. The Ravens repsonded with a Matt Stover 23-yard field goal with 2:47 left in the quarter to knot the game at 3-3. Stover's field goal capped an 11-play 59-yard drive.
However, it was Reed's play in the second quarter that ultimately did the Dolphins in.
Facing a 3rd-and-8, the Dolphins were put in a passing situation. The Ravens countered by blitzing and at the same time placed double coverage on Dolphins receiver Ted Ginn. Feeling the pressure, Pennington rolled to the outside and tossed the bomb deep down the side of the field. However, Reed made an outstanding over-the-shoulder catch and returned the interception down the sideline for a 64 yard touchdown. Reed's touchdown came with 2:30 left in the half. Stover's PAT was good for the 10-3 Ravens lead.
A 31-yard Matt Stover field goal with 16 seconds remaining in the first half extended the Ravens lead to 13-3. The field goal capped a 7-play 46-yard drive which consumed 1:21.
In the second half, Terrell Suggs recovered Patrick Cobbs fumble at the Miami 19. Four plays later Le'Ron McClain scored on an 8-yard run for the 20-3 Ravens lead.
Trailing 20-3, the Dolphins were in the midst of a 58-yard drive to the Ravens 13 yard line when Reed came up with his second interception on the day.
Pennington finished the day 25-for-38 for 252 yards with 4 interceptions and 1 TD pass. The Ravens further suffocated the Dolphins offense allowing only 52 yards rushing. In addition to the Ravens defensive pressure, the Dolphins offesne was left to start with poor field position.
Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco was 9-for-23 for 135 yards with no turnovers. Flacco scored the final points of the game on a 5-yard touchdown run with 3:53 remaining to produce the games final, 27-9.
The Ravens defensive performance was much like their 27-13 victory at Miami earlier in the season (Ocotber 19, 2008).
Ravens | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
Team | Qtr. | Time | Scoring Play | Drive | Score |
Dolphins | 1 | 8:17 | D.Carpenter 19 yd. Field Goal | 8-50, 4:15 | 0-3 |
Ravens | 1 | 2:47 | M.Stover 23 yd. Field Goal | 11-59, 5:30 | 3-3 |
Ravens | 2 | 2:30 | E.Reed 64 yd. interception return (M.Stover kick) | 10-3 | |
Ravens | 2 | 0:16 | M.Stover 31 yd. Field Goal | 7-46, 1:21 | 13-3 |
Ravens | 3 | 7:33 | L.McClain 8 yd. run (M.Stover kick) | 4-19, 2:09 | 20-3 |
Dolphins | 4 | 13:09 | R.Brown 2 yd. pass from C.Pennington (kick blocked) | 5-74, 1:51 | 20-9 |
Ravens | 4 | 3:53 | J.Flacco 5 yd. run (M.Stover kick) | 8-71, 3:44 | 27-9 |
Statistics | Ravens | Dolphins |
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS | 16 | 18 |
By Rushing | 8 | 5 |
By Passing | 7 | 11 |
By Penalty | 1 | 2 |
THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY | 5-12-42% | 2-10-20% |
FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY | 0-0-0% | 0-1-0% |
TOTAL NET YARDS | 286 | 276 |
Total Offensive Plays (inc. times thrown passing) | 56 | 62 |
Average gain per offensive play | 5.1 | 4.5 |
NET YARDS RUSHING | 151 | 52 |
Total Rushing Plays | 33 | 21 |
Average gain per rushing play | 4.6 | 2.5 |
Tackles for a loss-number and yards | 3-8 | 2-4 |
NET YARDS PASSING | 135 | 224 |
Times thrown - yards lost attempting to pass | 0-0 | 3-28 |
Gross yards passing | 135 | 252 |
PASS ATTEMPTS-COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED | 23-9-0 | 38-25-4 |
Avg gain per pass play (inc.# thrown passing) | 5.9 | 5.5 |
KICKOFFS Number-In End Zone-Touchbacks | 6-4-3 | 3-2-1 |
PUNTS Number and Average | 5-43.4 | 3-44.0 |
Had Blocked | 0 | 0 |
FGs - PATs Had Blocked | 0-0 | 0-1 |
Net Punting Average | 37.4 | 37.0 |
TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (Not Including Kickoffs) | 129 | 10 |
No. and Yards Punt Returns | 2-21 | 2-10 |
No. and Yards Kickoff Returns | 2-54 | 3-69 |
No. and Yards Interception Returns | 4-108 | 0-0 |
PENALTIES Number and Yards | 7-59 | 4-34 |
FUMBLES Number and Lost | 1-1 | 2-1 |
TOUCHDOWNS | 3 | 1 |
Rushing | 2 | 0 |
Passing | 0 | 1 |
Interceptions | 1 | 0 |
EXTRA POINTS Made-Attempts | 3-3 | 0-1 |
Kicking Made-Attempts | 3-3 | 0-1 |
FIELD GOALS Made-Attempts | 2-2 | 1-1 |
RED ZONE EFFICIENCY | 2-4-50% | 1-3-33% |
GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY | 2-3-67% | 1-2-50% |
SAFETIES | 0 | 0 |
FINAL SCORE | 27 | 9 |
TIME OF POSSESSION | 26:34 | 33:26 |
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- Tennessee Titans Regular Season Review
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