It’s Tuesday and the sting of the Ravens’ dramatic loss on Sunday still certainly is there but as we try to look ahead to a must win game against the Miami Dolphins, there were a few positive notes that of course would have been better along with a Ravens victory.
One of those silver linings is running back Justin Forsett, who eclipsed the 1000-yard rushing mark for the first time in his seven-year NFL career. While standing at his locker following the brutal loss, the journeyman running back was happy about the accomplishment yet saddened it didn’t occur with a better outcome.
“It’s bittersweet,” he told members of the media on Sunday. “It’s a great accomplishment for us and the team, but we want to come out of here with a win, and we didn’t get that done today.”
Just four games remain for a Ravens football team that is in must win mode. The AFC playoff race is tighter than a gnat’s behind on a lemon wedge – one loss in any of those contests could potentially keep the team from making a postseason appearance for the second-straight year. Forsett remains focused.
“It stinks to lose a game that we should have had. We let it go at the end, but our job is to go out and get focused for next week. We’ve got a big game on the road, and that’s our job. Our mindset is on Miami.”
The journey continues in Miami as Forsett alluded to and it’s certainly clear to anyone who has watched the play of the secondary the last two games that the Ravens’ playoff hopes rest squarely on the offense.
Offensive red zones woes continue to be a issue for the team, as they were 3-for-7 against San Diego in the most critical area of the field. That must change as we flip the calendar to December.
“There were a lot of specific things that were – and specific plays – and things could have been executed better, or we could have gotten a better look,” Harbaugh stated at his press conference on Monday. “We didn’t get quite the look we were looking for sometimes, or Joe [Flacco] had to throw it away on the last one – those kinds of things that make the difference down there.”
Executing better means finding a way to run the football, utilizing every weapon you have once inside the 20 yard line and delivering the knockout blow to an opponent when you have them on the ropes.
Forsett will look to increase his rushing total against a Dolphins defense that currently ranks 21st in the league in stopping the run.
The New York Jets showed us all on Monday Night Football the weakness Miami has in stopping the run, as Chris Johnson and Chris Ivory combined for 167 rushing yards, with Johnson averaging 6.2 yards per carry. The Ravens would be smart to follow Sexy Rexy’s blueprint and feed Forsett the ball and take their shots.
It will be all hands on deck on Sunday, particularly in the red zone.
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