Thursday Night Football features the Miami Dolphins (4-2) and the Baltimore Ravens (3-4) squaring off from Maryland to mark the start of week eight in the NFL.
The Ravens’ rushing defense is going to be a big a big focus going into the game against the Dolphins as they will try to stop running back Jay Ajayi.
Baltimore’s defensive unit will have to refocus and rethink how to perform consistently as it has allowed 184 rushing yards per game in the Ravens four losses, while in their three wins they have allowed just 92.
The Dolphins, winners of three straight, will be missing their starting quarterback Jay Cutler for this game as he continues to recover from multiple cracked ribs.
Matt Moore, who came in to lead the Dolphins to a 31-28 win over the New York Jets, will start this game.
In the victory over the Jets Moore passed for 188 yards and two touchdowns as he completed 13 of 21 pass attempts after he came in early in the third quarter to replace Cutler.
The good thing for the Dolphins is that they may not miss a beat with Moore who has been in this position before as he replaced an injured Ryan Tannehill late last season to lead Miami to the playoffs.
Moore has embraced his role as he’s been one of the most reliable backup quarterbacks in this league. In his 15 starts, he’s averaged about 23 points per game.
More has played solidly when called upon. As a Dolphins’ starter, he has a 2-1 record, with a 63.4 completion percentage and is averaging 224.7 passing yards per game. He’s amassed an 8-3 touchdown-interception ratio with a passer rating of 106.5.
Interestingly most of those numbers are even better than Jay Cutler’s who in six games has a 4-2 record, a 62.8 completion percentage, averages 165.8 passing yards per game, own a 7-5 touchdown-interception ratio and a 78.8 passer rating.
The Ravens meanwhile are also dealing with several injuries on offense and they’re struggling to get guys on that field.
Because of injuries and due to the fact that these are the two worst offensive units in the NFL facing each other it’s most likely that this will be a game where points and yards will be difficult to come by.
The difference in this one might be the fact that for a change the Baltimore Ravens defense has struggled enough against the run this season. The Dolphins will probably find a way to take advantage of it as they will attack the Ravens D with a plethora of Ajayi carries and use to open the passing game for Moore and his receivers.
If that happens, expect the Dolphins to win a close low-scoring affair in Baltimore, otherwise, the Ravens might win their first game since October 8, when they defeated the Oakland Raiders.
