The Baltimore Ravens lost by the final score of 22-10 to the Miami Dolphins on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 10. It was a shocking loss to many, as Miami entered the contest struggling at 2-7 while Baltimore had just come off of an overtime win in Week 9 and boasted a 6-2 record.
While the offense was the main culprit as to why the Ravens weren’t able to secure a win, the defensive unit gave up a few big plays in important situations where the team could have gained momentum with stops. When asked about the defense generating four sacks, outside linebacker Justin Houston said that he thought they did good when they have the opportunity, but talked about big plays and said they could be better.
“I felt like we did good when we had the opportunity. We can do better though, as a whole. We still gave up too many big plays for where we want to be and where we’re going. We should limit it to no big plays at all. So, we’ve got work to do.”
In Week 10, two big plays stick out as blemishes on a rather strong defensive performance overall. One was right before the end of the first half, when Dolphins wide receiver ran straight up the field for a 52-yard gain with 34 seconds remaining. The play would contribute to Miami getting three points before the half.
The other came late in the contest, when with 3:29 remaining the game Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson had nobody near him running up the field, taking the ball 64 yards and setting up another Miami score, this time a touchdown.
The Ravens have been a poor big play defense over the course of 2021, and Houston knows that the defense still gives up too many big plays. The unit will get an opportunity to limit those big plays in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears, which will be their first game since their loss to the Dolphins.