The Miami Dolphins (11-4) are looking to continue their momentum into Week 17 after clinching the postseason for the second year in a row, as they to face off against Baltimore Ravens on New Year's Eve. The game will kick off on Sunday, December 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Dolphins delivered on Christmas Eve with a win against the Dallas Cowboys, 22-20. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 24-of-37 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown. Tagovailoa currently leads all quarterbacks in passing yards with 4,214. This marks Tagovailoa's first 4,000-yard season of his career. He became just the third player in Dolphins history to eclipse the mark. The only other quarterbacks to have done so are Dan Marino (six times) and Ryan Tannehill (two times).
Defensively, the Dolphins recorded four total sacks and recovered a critical fumble on the goal line to keep the Cowboys from the scoring on their opening drive. Linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and Bradley Chubb led the way with 1.5 sacks each and defensive tackle Zach Sieler recorded a sack of his own.
Chubb's 1.5 sack performance made him the first Dolphin since Cameron Wake in 2017 to have double-digit sacks in a season. Chubb currently has 11 sacks with two games remaining.
Safety Brandon Jones has stepped up the previous two weeks with his ability to take the football, with two interceptions against the New York Jets in Week 15, and recovering a fumble on the goal line while having nine total tackles last week vs. Dallas.
On special teams, kicker Jason Sanders went five-for-five on field goals including the 29-yard game winner as time expired. Sanders made field goals from 57, 52, 54, 35 and the game-winner from 29 yards, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He became the first player in Dolphins history to make three 50-plus yard field goals in the same game.
The Baltimore Ravens (12-3) are coming off a win against the San Francisco 49ers, 33-19, on Monday Night Football.
The Ravens entered Week 16 as the number one seed in the AFC and atop the AFC North, and made a statement on Christmas night. Despite their first two possession ending in punt and safety, the Ravens defense would provide some help while the offense started to get going.
After two straight scoreless drives, quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense would score on their next seven drives with three touchdowns and four field goals. Jackson would complete 23-of-35 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens defense caused problems for the 49ers offense and quarterback Brock Purdy throughout the entirety of the game. The Ravens produced four sacks and forced Purdy to throw four interceptions, three of which were in the first half.
Quarterback Sam Darnold would take over late in the fourth quarter replacing Purdy, while throwing an interception of his own adding to the total of five interceptions on the night for the Ravens defense. Safety Kyle Hamilton led the way with two interceptions and now has four this season.
Entering Week 17, the Dolphins have clinched a playoff spot and are looking to clinch the AFC East for the first time since 2008 with a win or Bills loss vs. New England. The Ravens are looking to continue their winning ways and clinch the number one seed in the AFC along with the AFC North with a win.
So far this season, the Dolphins and Ravens have similar rankings in terms of both offense and defense. The Dolphins rank first in total offense (411.5), passing offense (275.1), and scoring offense (30.87). Defensively, the Dolphins rank fourth in total defense (296.5), fifth in rushing defense (90.8), and second in sacks (52).
The Ravens rank top 10 and near the top in several offensive and defensive categories such as fifth in total offense (372.1), first in rushing offense (159.7), and fourth in scoring offense (27.8). While on defense, they rank sixth in total defense (297.3), and passing defense (193.9), first in in scoring defense (16.3), sacks (54), and takeaways (26).
Both defenses have forced many turnovers this season and provided pressure on the quarterback. The Ravens lead in both sacks and takeaways, forcing 16 interceptions and 10 fumbles recovered. Both teams have three players with at least seven sacks or more this season.
Defensive tackle Justin Madubuike leads the Ravens with 12 sacks with linebackers Jadeveon Clowney (8.5) and Kyle Van Noy (7) also getting to the quarterback often. The Dolphins lead the NFL with the fewest quarterback hits allowed this season, allowing just 52. It is the lowest by a wide margin. The Ravens have allowed 65 QB hits, which ranks fourth in the league.
The last time the Dolphins and Ravens met was during Week 2 of last season in Baltimore, where the Dolphins overcame a 21-point deficit for the win, 42-38.
Make sure to check out the Injury Report and see the status of the players ahead of gametime and check Miami Dolphins social 90 minutes before kickoff for inactives. Also, remember to test your knowledge in this week's Dolphins Trivia.
Watch the game live on Sunday, December 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, and listen on the Dolphins Radio Network and view the Game Center for the latest coverage.
