On the surface, the Week 9 Thursday Night Football matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens looks to be one of the classic, gross Thursday night games.
Both teams come into the game with just two wins, sitting on the outside of the AFC playoff picture.
Digging just a bit deeper, beyond the records of each team, this is actually a very intriguing matchup with a number of storylines at play.
The Ravens will get their MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, back for the first time in three weeks after he was sidelined with a hamstring injury. On top of that, this game will be pivotal in the Ravens’ efforts to get their season back on track and beat the odds to make the postseason after opening the year at 1-5.
“Been a while.”
Lamar Jackson is officially back, saying he feels 100% healthy. pic.twitter.com/v7hzU0vfqo
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2025
Meanwhile, the Dolphins’ season has been on the ropes for a month at this point. But they’re fresh off a dominant and unexpected victory over the Atlanta Falcons, so picking up another crucial win could right the ship.
So, what can we expect on Thursday night?
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Tonight’s game has the makings of a massacre.
While the Dolphins may have found their stride to some degree, this team still features one of the worst defenses in the league, while the man under center, Tua Tagovailoa, has been prone to making back-breaking mistakes all year long.
Quick diagram of the first Tua Tagovailoa interception.
Perfect concept against a basic cover-3, and Tua gets the hook defender to bite early, opening up the middle of the field, but he sails it for an INT. This is typically a gimme. pic.twitter.com/FJY9AcHTPk
— Tyler DeSena (@desena_tyler) September 8, 2025
The Dolphins provided what is likely false hope last week, but the Ravens seem to be truly surging.
With Jackson back in the mix, the offense should return to form and resemble the unit that ranked first in total offense and third in scoring offense last season.
The defense has been the pain point in Baltimore this season, but as they’ve continued to get healthier, they’ve found their stride in recent weeks.
After looking like a sieve for the first month of the year, the Ravens have surrendered just 16.5 points per game in their last two contests, both of which came against quality offenses in the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams.
Evaluating the trajectory of both teams, while considering the sheer talent on each roster, a blowout is in store.
When the Dolphins inevitably suffer a multi-score loss, this will be remembered as the final nail in the coffin for Mike McDaniel.
McDaniel has been on the hot seat and clinging to his job for weeks now. The win over the Falcons gave him some extra slack, but when a coach is leading a 2-7 team, the writing is on the wall.
Change is coming in Miami. Whether it’s deserved or not, that will include moving on from McDaniel, and the loss against the Ravens will be the dagger.
