Ravens Fry Fish

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson silenced many of his critics with a five-touchdown performance in a 56-19 blowout of the Miami Dolphins to clinch the top seed in the AFC.

Baltimore improves their record to (13-3) as they will be the No. 1 seed for the first time since the 2019 season. The AFC playoffs will come through M&T Bank Stadium as they will have home-field advantage throughout. This was another statement game for the Ravens as they have beaten two of the better teams in the NFL over the past couple of weeks.

The 56 points is the most the Ravens have scored since 2019 when they scored 59 points, also against the Dolphins. Jackson solidified his MVP chances as he finished 18-21 with 321 yards and five touchdowns. The highlight of the game came on a 75-yard touchdown bomb to rookie Zay Flowers, who finished with 106 yards on only three catches. Running back Justice Hill was an unsung hero with his best game of the season with 112 total yards and a 78-yard kickoff return to start the second half.

“Justice (Hill) is a starting running back, too. He played that way. He was romping and stomping. (It was) just big play after big play. (It was) so impressive. He’s that kind of a back,” Harbaugh said, “So many players in this league work so hard, and then an opportunity doesn’t come. But, when an opportunity comes, to see guys step up the way they have like Justice did and other guys have – as a coach, that’s everything.”

The Defense gave up some yards but kept the Dolphins out of the end zone and came up with a couple of timely turnovers, including forcing Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into two interceptions. He was also sacked three times, with Justin Madubuike adding another to his team lead of 13 sacks.

Roquan Smith made an impressive one-handed interception before halftime that really turned the momentum in the Ravens favor. The Dolphins were only down eight and were driving into Ravens territory before the pic, and Smith’s 30-yard return would set up an Isaiah Likely touchdown to make the game 28-13.

“It was kind of funny, because I think it was on the first or second drive, when (No.) 10 (Tyreek Hill) caught it to our right, and on the ‘Marlo’ (Marlon Humphrey) one, I saw it then, and I was like, ‘I didn’t get there fast enough.’ So, I was like, ‘Crap’ [and] thinking about it, and I was like, ‘If I get that again …’ And then I knew it had to be an in-breaking route, so I said, ‘I’m going to just run,’ and then I ran. I couldn’t believe it; I saw it. I was like, ‘Crap, let me stick this arm out,’ and that’s what happened,” Smith said.

Smith wasn’t the only player making one-handed catches as both Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard made one-handed touchdown catches. Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t left out and made a “vintage Odell” sideline catch in the second quarter to set up another touchdown.

“Just make the play. To me, it feels like a routine play that there’s no way I shouldn’t make (it). You have to make the most of your opportunities. There are so many people to feed on this team. (You) never know when it’s going to spin to you, so (I’m) just finding a way to make the most of my opportunities whenever they come. I have to take a look back at it again; I didn’t even know why we were reviewing it. I thought it was a for sure (catch),” Beckham said.

The Ravens will have to wait to see how the rest of the AFC playoff picture develops but they have guaranteed at least one home playoff game.