Spokesman-Review
National Football League
Baltimore 38, Miami 6
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 4, 2016
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Temperature: 47°
Head Official: Carl Cheffers
Attendance: 70916

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco implores his coaches to stay aggressive when they have the lead and to keep attacking teams downfield.

They finally listened to that advice and Flacco delivered a dominant performance.

Flacco threw for 381 yards with four touchdowns and Baltimore snapped the Miami Dolphins' six-game winning streak with a 38-6 victory on Sunday. The Ravens now appear to be a dangerous team heading into the final four games of the season.

"I thought Joe just played phenomenally well," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Joe and the offensive line got the game balls in the locker room. I thought his vision was phenomenal. He moved around and made plays on the run. Guys made catch-and-run plays. It just looked like you want it to look."

Baltimore (7-5) won four of its past five matchups and remains atop the AFC North. The Dolphins (7-5) were looking to win eight straight games for the first time since 1985, but dampened their playoff hopes instead.

Ravens' tight end Dennis Pitta had nine catches for 90 yards with two touchdowns. Pitta, who dealt with two devastating hip injuries, reached the end zone for the first time since Dec. 8, 2013.

"I had a couple of touchdowns today, but I thought I've been producing all year," Pitta said.

Baltimore running back Terrance West caught a 3-yard touchdown pass and ran for a 9-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Flacco completed a franchise-record 36 passes to 10 different receivers with an interception.

"The line obviously did a really job," said Flacco, who did not endure a sack. "When (the Dolphins) were playing zone, there were some holes. I had time to sit back there and drill them in. That was big. Scoring in the red zone, putting the ball in the end zone when we got down there, was huge. This game starts up front with your offensive line and I think they played really well today."

Pitta's fumble early in the fourth quarter was recovered by Miami at the Ravens' 8-yard line. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill found DeVante Parker in the corner of the end zone on the next play. That ended the Ravens' bid to earn their first shutout since 2009.

Flacco responded on the ensuing drive with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman for a 31-6 lead with 12:49 left in the game.

The Dolphins simply could not manage any momentum against the Ravens' No. 2-ranked defense, which allowed just 277 total yards.

Tannehill threw for nine touchdowns with just one interception over the team's winning streak but struggled early and often against the Ravens, completing 29 of 40 passes for 226 yards with three interceptions.

"We just didn't play well, but there's still a lot of football left for us," Tannehill said. "We made physical mistakes and communication mistakes. This could be a good learning opportunity for us."

Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi finished with 61 yards on 12 carries. He has been held to under 80 yards in the past four games. Miami's Jarvis Landry managed 87 yards on 11 receptions.

"We'd been on a streak and hadn't tasted defeat in a long time," Ajayi said. "So, we lost today and it's tough. It's a weird feeling. We're used to winning, but it's okay. We'll get past this and start a new streak."

The Ravens opened a 7-0 lead on the opening drive when West caught a 3-yard touchdown from Flacco. After Miami's Andrew Franks missed a 46-yard field goal attempt wide left, Baltimore made them pay when Flacco threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Pitta.

The Ravens later converted a fourth-and-2 on an 8-yard pass from Flacco to Steve Smith. This set up another 9-yard touchdown pass to Pitta, capping an 18-play, 8:57 drive.

"The Ravens had a great offensive day against us," Miami defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. "Flacco did a great job getting the ball out quickly before we could get near him."

Justin Tucker made a 55-yard field goal as time expired to boost Baltimore's lead to 24-0 at the half. Tucker has made 35 consecutive field goals, including 28 this season.

NOTES: Ravens CB Jimmy Smith (back) was back in the starting lineup after missing the past two games. Rookie Tavon Young got the start opposite of Smith before leaving with a left shoulder injury. ... Dolphins LT Branden Albert and rookie LG Laremy Tunsil were back in the lineup. Albert missed the past two games with a wrist injury, while Tunsil was out last week with a sore shoulder. C Mike Pouncey (hip) missed his third consecutive game. ... Ravens OT Marshal Yanda got his third straight start at left guard for injured rookie Alex Lewis. Yanda is a five-time Pro Bowler at right guard.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Miami   Baltimore
Jay Ajayi Player Kenneth Dixon
12 Attempts 6
61 Yards 56
5.1 Avg Yards 9.3
0 Touchdowns 0
19 Long 17
Receiving
Miami   Baltimore
Jarvis Landry Player Dennis Pitta
11 Receptions 9
87 Yards 90
7.9 Avg Yards 10.0
0 Touchdowns 2
26 Long 25
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Miami 277 62 215 1 0 1 0.0 1
Baltimore 496 110 386 5 1 3 2.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • Baltimore will play their next game on the road against New England. The Ravens have a W/L % of .714 after a win and .400 after a loss.
  • Miami will play their next game at home against Arizona. The Dolphins have a W/L % of .714 after a win and .400 after a loss.