By Jeff Zrebiec, Saad Yousuf and Amos Morale III
Lamar Jackson made his first start for the Baltimore Ravens since Week 4 and dominated as he led his team to a 28-6 win against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on “Thursday Night Football.”
Jackson, who had been sidelined with a right hamstring injury, threw four touchdown passes and posted a passer rating of 143.2. Running back Derrick Henry added 119 rushing yards on 19 carries for the Ravens (3-5).
The Dolphins (2-7) finished with similar yardage to the Ravens but turned the ball over three times and made several other mistakes, including a penalty on what would have been a big gain by receiver Jaylen Waddle.
It took a while, but Lamar Jackson found a groove
Maybe it should have been expected that Jackson and the offense would show some rust. He hadn’t played in over a month because of that right hamstring strain. Jackson looked unsettled in the first half. He wasn’t looking to run. He struggled to find open receivers. The Ravens had just four first-half first downs en route to leading 14-6 at intermission.
But the Ravens looked like an entirely different offense in the second half. They had six first downs on their opening drive of that half alone. Jackson got in a rhythm, throwing two third-quarter touchdown passes. Baltimore also finally started to run the football effectively. With a healthy Jackson, the Ravens will always have a chance. A healthy Jackson with a defense that can force turnovers is an even better recipe. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer
FOUR TD PASSES FOR LAMAR 🔥
He’s all the way back!
BALvsMIA on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oXBbh2ju0d— NFL (@NFL) October 31, 2025
Ravens are back in the playoff mix
Veteran general manager Eric DeCosta probably wouldn’t have sold off veteran pieces even if the Ravens were 2-6 after Thursday. Waving the white flag is not in the organization’s DNA. However, with their second consecutive win, the Ravens have moved closer to the first-place and 4-3 Pittsburgh Steelers, who play the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Jackson and other key players are back healthy, and the team is starting to gather momentum. The defense has had three consecutive solid outings, but the Ravens badly need to add to their pass rush, either with an outside linebacker or an interior defensive lineman. DeCosta has the cap space and draft capital to acquire help before Tuesday’s trade deadline. — Zrebiec
Self-inflicted errors ruin any chance for Dolphins
The Dolphins are not good enough to beat themselves and beat an opponent, and they made far too many self-inflicted errors in the first half. They outgained the Ravens 225-109 in yards, but their second drive ended with a fumble inside their own 20-yard line, which set up Baltimore’s first touchdown.
The Dolphins got to the Ravens’ 12-yard line on the ensuing drive but had a false start on fourth-and-1. That forced them to kick a field goal, which Riley Patterson missed from 35 yards out. Their 10-play drive late in the first half ended with a curious play call on fourth down, with Tua Tagovailoa apparently throwing a fade to the 5-foot-9 De’Von Achane on fourth-and-2 when the running back was matched up on a 6-foot-4 defensive back in Kyle Hamilton. The play looked discombobulated and never had a chance.
On the final chance in the first half, the Dolphins couldn’t even get the Hail Mary pass off, with Tagovailoa taking a sack. In between all of that, a botched tripping call early in the second quarter took a huge pass play off the board for Miami, which would have gotten the Dolphins inside Baltimore’s 10-yard line. That drive ended in a punt.
“We can’t play against two teams,” Mike McDaniel said on the broadcast coming out of the first half.
The Dolphins didn’t play nearly as well in the second half, but in the fourth quarter, Miami got a long drive going, which included two fourth-down conversions. The 12-play drive ended inside the Baltimore 14-yard line when the Dolphins again had a costly error when Malik Washington fumbled the ball away. — Saad Yousuf, national NFL writer
Patience appears to be running thin with Dolphins leadership
It was hard to ignore the crowd in Miami, with fans wearing brown paper bags and displaying posters with sarcastic messages about the outlook of the team. Even as the game was competitive in the first half, Dolphins fans were quick to boo the home team at any opportunity, whether it was an incomplete pass on third down or a play call they didn’t find appealing.
McDaniel’s facial expressions were also notable, something play-by-play commentator Al Michaels even brought up on the broadcast in the fourth quarter when McDaniel looked visibly frustrated. McDaniel’s job status has been a constant topic of conversation this season, and although the team looked competent on Thursday, the results weren’t there, and patience from fans appears to be at a low point.
With the Dolphins having a mini bye week courtesy of playing on Thursday, McDaniel’s status — along with perhaps Dolphins general manager Chris Grier — will be under a spotlight. The Dolphins will play next on Nov. 9 when they host the Buffalo Bills. They’ll have a home game against the Washington Commanders in Week 11, before getting their bye in Week 12. — Yousuf
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