Report: Baltimore Ravens expected to be without J.K. Dobbins vs. Miami Dolphins

When the Miami Dolphins take the field on Sunday afternoon, the team’s defense will most likely not have to face Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins.

Dobbins suffered a torn ACL during the 2021 preseason and missed all of the regular season. He’s surely anxious to make his return, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll happen this weekend.

During the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Ravens selected Dobbins out of Ohio State University. During his rookie campaign, Dobbins delivered a solid season by gaining 805 yards on the ground and catching 18 passes.

Flexing on Defense

Sunday’s game against the Ravens will be the first road contest of the season for the Dolphins, who started off strong last week with a 20-7 victory over the New England Patriots.

The Dolphins’ solid defense was on display all afternoon in that matchup, which included the team’s first touchdown of the season on a fumble return by Melvin Ingram.

What Miami Faces

During the Ravens’ 24-9 win over the New York Jets last Sunday, it was their passing game that was most prominently featured. Quarterback Lamar Jackson connected on three scoring tosses during the victory, two of them to Devin Duvernay.

If the Ravens once again prioritize their passing attack, that figures to offer a solid challenge to Miami’s secondary, which limited New England’s passing game to 213 yards and one score in Week 1. Dolphins safety Jevon Holland had the team’s only interception of the afternoon, returning a Mac Jones errant pass for 31 yards.

Recent Dolphins-Ravens History

Last season, the Dolphins and Ravens met in Miami in a Thursday night matchup. The Dolphins emerged with a 22-10 victory, the second straight victory of what ended up being a seven-game winning streak.

Prior to that win, the Dolphins’ previous three clashes against the Ravens were better left forgotten. In those contests, the Dolphins were outscored 137-16, including a humiliating 59-10 loss at home in Miami’s 2019 season opener.

Sunday’s game offers the Dolphins a stiff challenge as they seek to stay undefeated. After Week 2, they have a difficult road ahead with a game next Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, followed by a Thursday night battle against the Cincinnati Bengals.