Ravens, Lamar Jackson pound Dolphins for AFC No. 1 seed

BALTIMORE — The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC will not go through Miami Gardens.

In fact, it’s going through the stadium the Miami Dolphins just played in, and it won’t be an easy place to play — for them or any other team in the conference.

The Dolphins were pounded by star quarterback, MVP favorite and South Florida native Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, dropping a lopsided 56-19 decision Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium.

While Baltimore (13-3) clinched that top spot in the conference with Sunday’s convincing win, Miami (11-5) missed out on a chance to secure a top-two position in the playoffs and leapfrog the Ravens for the No. 1 seed with one game remaining in the regular season.

Instead, with the Buffalo Bills’ win against the New England Patriots, next week’s finale at Hard Rock Stadium against Buffalo will be for the AFC East, with a loss dropping the Dolphins all the way down from No. 2 to 6.

“Our team was very confident in themselves going into the game, with good reason, and our expectations fell very short,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “Hat’s off to the Ravens for really taking it to us.

“The biggest thing is that, with a locker room like this, with those failed expectations, I know they’re going to grow closer, not farther apart. That’s important in this part of the year because we will have a divisional crown to play for next week.”

Said Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: “I think everything is still in front of us.”

It was the first time the Dolphins allowed 56 points since the 2020 finale against the Bills, and that was the most the Ravens have scored at M&T Bank Stadium.

Jackson finished 18 of 21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns, likely sealing his case for MVP. Two of his touchdowns went to tight end Isaiah Likely, and a 75-yard backbreaker went the way of fellow South Florida product Zay Flowers as the Dolphins defense was torn to shreds.

“We pride ourselves on, ‘If you’re going to score, you’re going to have to earn it,’” McDaniel said. “What I mean by that is we haven’t had a run-in touchdown or that many run-in touchdowns as we had in this game, which is a function of tackling.”

Tagovailoa, operating with two key playmakers in running back Raheem Mostert and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle out, finished 22 of 38 for 237 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. On a late fourth-down scramble, Tagovailoa was hit as he slid and left with a shoulder injury to his throwing arm.

“You have the perspective of things could be worse,” said Tagovailoa, adding his shoulder was fine and just sore. “We’re right where we need to be as a team, regardless of the outcome of (Sunday), and we’ll be better for it, and hopefully we’ll get to see these guys again.”

Rookie running back De’Von Achane, playing more snaps with Mostert unavailable, had 107 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill finished with six catches for 76 yards, but his early drop in the end zone cost the team points and led to a snowball effect.

“I played probably one of the worst games of my career,” Hill said. “As a leader of this team, I can’t put that on tape.”

Jackson hit three key downfield strikes in the second quarter — two went for touchdowns and the other led to one.

“It just wasn’t our best day; it was not a good outing,” defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said. “Whatever it is, we’ll get it fixed and we’ll watch the tape.”

First, an incredible deep sideline grab by Odell Beckham Jr., which was challenged unsuccessfully by Miami coach Mike McDaniel, led to a 1-yard Gus Edwards touchdown run. That score gave Baltimore its first lead, 14-10, after a back-and-forth first quarter and a half.

Then, there was a bust in coverage, apparently on cornerback Eli Apple, who entered after Xavien Howard’s foot injury. Flowers, the standout rookie wide receiver, was wide open and safety DeShon Elliott couldn’t get over in time as Flowers then put a couple of moves on the two defenders before trotting into the end zone. It gave the Ravens a 21-13 lead, which then kept growing.

Before halftime, it was Jackson’s first strike to Likely, a 35-yarder that made it 28-13.

“I put myself in a bad situation,” safety Jevon Holland said. “He made a hell of a catch, great throw by Lamar and they capitalized on it.”

The Ravens got the ball to start the second half, and a 78-yard kick return gave Baltimore exceptional field position to set up the second Jackson-to-Likely touchdown, a 7-yarder for a 35-13 advantage.

Early in the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa threw a jump ball up to the end zone that the diminutive Achane came down with for a touchdown.

But the Ravens sealed it with a Jackson touchdown to fullback Patrick Ricard. And then a Melvin Gordon touchdown for good measure. And Baltimore coach John Harbaugh didn’t take his foot off the gas there, having backup quarterback Tyler Huntley throw to tight end Charlie Kolar for a 19-yard touchdown.

McDaniel didn’t take exception postgame to the Ravens throwing for the end zone with 1:35 remaining.

“When you have a lead of multiple scores, you are free to do whatever you want,” McDaniel said. “We have to defend it, and we didn’t.”

To add injury to insult, Dolphins outside linebacker Bradley Chubb exited late with a knee injury that had him carted away.

The Dolphins started Sunday with a statement that the missing firepower offensively would not stop the offense from flowing. Miami marched down for 75 yards in eight plays that for an opening possession capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Cedrick Wilson Jr., who got the start Sunday in place of Waddle. Achane had 37 total yards on the opening drive, starting for Mostert.

The Ravens responded with an opening scoring drive of their own, with Jackson throwing to Justice Hill on a pick play that was called for offensive pass interference earlier in the drive but executed better their second time around.

A key turning point in the afternoon was Hill’s drop of a touchdown on Miami’s second series. The Dolphins settled for a field goal, and from that point, they were outscored, 49-9.

The Dolphins wrap up the regular season next weekend at home against the Bills, with a date and time yet to be announced as of Sunday evening.