The Dolphins and Ravens meet Thursday night in Miami Gardens for a primetime showdown to kick off Week 9. The last time Baltimore was in town was Week 10 of the 2021 season, also on a Thursday night, when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench to lead Miami to a comeback victory.
Tagovailoa's next game against the Ravens was the best of his career, and one of the greatest single-game performances in NFL history. He tied the Dolphins franchise record with six touchdown passes. Six-touchdown-pass games are rare. It's only happened 47 times in league history and hasn't happened since Tagovailoa did it in 2022.
The Miami quarterback is coming off his best game of the 2025 season, a four-touchdown performance in which only six incomplete passes hit the ground. The Dolphins rode a balanced attack to clip the Falcons in a 34-10 on the road.
"Play-in, play-out, run, pass, touchdown drive, or punt, Tua was adding value to his teammates and really pushing confidence from himself onto them which made us play a better brand of football," Head Coach Mike McDaniel said.
The Ravens got back in the win column last week without quarterback Lamar Jackson and are now 2-5. Baltimore beat the Bears 30-16 with former Dolphins signal caller Tyler Huntley at the controls. Jackson is expected to return to the lineup Thursday to reignite the NFL's most dangerous backfield.
Jackson's 6,339 career rushing yards are the most by any quarterback in NFL history. Alongside the two-time NFL MVP is Derrick Henry, one of the most dangerous tailbacks the game has ever seen. Henry leads all active backs and ranks 17th all-time with 11,933 career rushing yards.
The Dolphins are fresh off their best performance defending the run. They held Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson to 25 yards on nine carries, the fourth-lowest total in his young but brilliant career. Heading up that attack was linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who will need to be on at his best again for this Miami defense.
"(Jordyn) is relentless and disciplined," Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver said. "Between him, (Zach) Sieler, (Bradley) Chubb – those guys are the heart and soul of our defense. As he goes, we go defensively. I'm incredibly proud of the kid and the work he's put forth since he's been here."
Brooks racked up 10 tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss in Sunday's win, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He has a league-leading 85 tackles this season.
While it's incumbent upon the Dolphins defense to limit Henry, it's a collective effort that requires contribution from all three phases.
"You, collectively, have to really commit to stop (the run) and that's in groups," McDaniel said. "You convert third downs, you have time of possession, you're running the ball well, those things contribute as well. It takes a team to minimize that guy. You don't stop him, and that's what we'll take on Thursday."
That was the recipe Sunday in Atlanta. The Dolphins ran the ball 37 times for 141 against the Falcons, allowing them to possess the football for nearly 38 minutes of game time. If the Dolphins can replicate that script on Thursday, they could capture their second win in four days.
Make sure to check out the Injury Report and the team's official social media accounts 90 minutes before kickoff to see who is active for the game.
Watch the game live on Thursday, October 30 at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video, and locally on CBS Miami. You can also catch the game on the Dolphins Radio Network and view the Game Center for the latest coverage.
