Ravens prepare for Miami blitz

The Miami Dolphins are set to visit the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon for their second game of the 2022 regular season.

According to Tipico Sportsbook, Miami is currently a 3.5-point underdog for the matchup. They’re also underdogs on the money line, as their victory is set at +155. The over/under for the contest is 44.5 points.

The Dolphins’ blitz pressure seriously disrupted the Ravens’ offense last year during a 22-10 loss in Miami. It would be no surprise to see the Dolphins bring plenty of heat again on Sunday, and offensive coordinator Greg Roman has thoroughly prepared for it.

“Every game, you want to look at it and learn from it – the good, the bad, the ugly,” Roman said. “A lot of different things that we could have done better – a lot of different things – coaching, playing, whatever. It’s really something you’ve got to look at kind of with a cool, cold-blooded mentality. You can’t get emotional about it. You’ve got to really look at it strategically and fundamentally and then figure out how you can fix certain things or explain certain things better – how to practice things a little bit better.”

The Dolphins blitzed more than any NFL team last year, but they disguise it well and make it difficult to recognize where the pressure will come from before the ball is snapped. It will be a test for the entire offense, one the Ravens are looking forward to after so much talk about what went wrong in Miami last year.

“They play cover zero, but they also play a lot of other things,” Roman said. “They do a nice job with it. It’s going to come down to preparation, communication and execution. So, if we’re good in those areas, I like our chances.

“If they’re going to basically roll the dice on having everyone up [in the box] and you have to be able to hit them (big plays). I think that’s definitely something you look forward to.”

Too often in Week 1, the Ravens were rushed to snap the football before the play clock expired. That’s a habit that can lead to penalties and turnovers, and head coach John Harbaugh said it’s a situation the Ravens can improve.

“We’ll look at where we can tighten some of those up and make them quicker and easier for Lamar [Jackson] to communicate,” Harbaugh said.

Roman said he can help Jackson with the process of getting the ball snapped a little more quickly.

“You can shorten play calls; you can simplify certain things; you can do one-word things,” Roman said. “Sometimes, it’s good to drain the clock. People don’t realize that, sometimes, but it’s really good at times. I think we set the all-time NFL record for time of possession a couple years ago, and a lot of it was because of that process.

“The bottom line is we want to be efficient with how we operate, and we’d like to be at the line of scrimmage, most of the time, to where we can operate, [and] we’re in front of the clock.”

The Dolphins are entering Week 2 after defeating the New England Patriots 20-7 in the season opener. Their defense proved to be as fierce as they were in 2021, forcing three turnovers and scoring a touchdown. Miami’s offense, however, will need to step up in this matchup, considering they only scored 13 points against New England’s defense, who lost their best player during the offseason.