National Football League

Dolphins' game against Ravens could make or break postseason chances

Published Dec. 6, 2014 4:30 p.m. ET

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Another week, another critical game for the Miami Dolphins (7-5) to keep their playoff hopes alive.

This time, it's a home game that pits them against the Baltimore Ravens (7-5) in what sets up to be an all-or-nothing contest that has the potential to make or break Miami's postseason chances.

Including Sunday's game, three of their final four games this season are at home and the Dolphins can't afford any missteps after playing a mostly lackluster game last Monday to eke out a win against the lowly New York Jets. A much better effort on both sides of the ball will be needed to put away the Ravens this time around.

Baltimore is still reeling from the shocking four-game suspension of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Ngata has consistently been their defensive anchor and while it's a big break for Miami, their unit as a whole should still be a formidable matchup for quarterback Ryan Tannehill and starting running back Lamar Miller.

"Baltimore is an excellent football team," said Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin regarding the suspension. "I'm sure they're going to have 46 guys ready to go. The defensive line is deep and well coached. So I'm sure they're going to have somebody in there. They've got good players, they've got good depth, they roll guys through."

With Dolphins cornerbacks Cortland Finnegan and Jamar Taylor both expected to be out on Sunday, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco could choose to take advantage and attack the league's second-ranked pass defense through the air or pound them inside given the Dolphins' recent woes with their run defense.

Here's what to watch for during Sunday's important clash.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Ravens RB Justin Forsett vs Dolphins defensive line, linebackers

Several issues with the Dolphins run defense have cropped up in their last two games, with the most significant being their poor tackling. Enter the Ravens' fifth-ranked run offense led by Forsett -- who is currently fourth in the NFL with 1,009 rushing yards -- to give them another big test.

"We're not opposed to doing anything," said Philbin of fixing their run defense problems. "We have to play better, we have to tackle better. We've got to make more plays. To that end, whatever we feel, we'll do. I'll entertain anything, but I'm not ruling anything out."

The Dolphins have yielded almost 500 rushing yards against the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, and they're aware how important it is to limit the Ravens on the ground if they want to win this game.

"I think we have to do a better job in stopping the run, first and foremost," said linebacker Jelani Jenkins of what the key to the game is. "They're a really balanced offense, they have a lot of different weapons and can beat you on the ground and in the air. So the biggest thing we have to do is try to shut them down in the run and then leave them one dimensional and then I think I like our chances."

TRENDING UP

Dolphins: Tannehill has been showing clear progress this season, with his 92.1 passer rating on pace to be the sixth-highest single season passer rating in Dolphins franchise history. He is also on pace for career highs in completion percentage -- currently at 66.5 percent -- and touchdowns.

Ravens: Kicker Justin Tucker was the recipient of the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month after converting all seven of his field goal attempts for a perfect November.

TRENDING DOWN

Dolphins: The run defense remains their biggest concern after they first gave up a season-high 201 rushing yards in Denver and allowed Broncos running back C.J. Anderson to rush for a career-high 167 yards. One week later, they yielded 277 rushing yards to the Jets and running back Chris Johnson had his best game for New York with 105 yards.

Ravens: Baltimore is 0-3 on the road this season against teams with winning records at the time they've played against them.

INJURY REPORT

Dolphins: Out: LB Jonathan Freeny (hamstring), CB Jamar Taylor (shoulder), G Nate Garner (illness); Doubtful: CB Cortland Finnegan (ankle), LB Chris McCain (ankle); Questionable: TE Charles Clay (hamstring/knee)

Ravens: Out: CB Tramain Jacobs (thigh); Questionable: WR Michael Campanaro (thigh), RB Justin Forsett (knee), TE Crockett Gilmore (back), LB Albert McClellan (thigh)

DID YOU KNOW?

Baltimore has beaten Miami in their last three match-ups dating back to October 19, 2008. It's the longest streak all-time for either team in their head-to-head series.

QUOTEBOARD

"It's a lot of things. Flacco, as far as pure quarterbacks, he's definitely one of the top out there, his arm strength. He has very good receivers. It looks like he's just a playmaker. I played against him last year, he made a couple of good passes. Just from watching film on him, he's just a good playmaker." -- DE Dion Jordan on what makes Ravens QB Joe Flacco a great quarterback.

"They've always had a great defensive front seven. This year's front seven is a typical Ravens defense. They have big boys in the middle, big guys on the outside that can stop the outside rush on the outside zones. It's your typical Ravens defense that keeps you on your toes and makes you play hard." -- C Samson Satele on the Ravens defense.

"It's just another game. 1-0 is the mentality. It's another game, it's another football game where it's a game that you have to win at all costs. Another week in the NFL where you're going to have a good football team against another good football team and I think, the way we're built, everybody's kind of ready to go, ready to accept that challenge. We've had a lot of challenges in the past few weeks, whether we've sealed the deal or not, it's built that character, it's built that confidence for us to go out and approach this game the same way." -- DE Cameron Wake on the significance of this game.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Dolphins face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium next Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.