Lamar Returns, Shines on Thursday Night Football

By : Ronnie Kron/@Megakron45

South Florida — the home of the Dolphins, and coincidentally, a familiar homecoming for several Ravens players, including Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers. And as history tends to show, the Ravens always seem to play their best when the hometown kids come back to perform.

Miami elected to receive the opening kickoff, keeping Lamar Jackson on the sideline a bit longer. Tua Tagovailoa led the Dolphins 26 yards on their opening drive, setting up a Riley Patterson field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.

Lamar’s first drive back from his hamstring injury was brief — a quick three-and-out. But Baltimore’s defense responded immediately, pinning Miami deep inside its own 20.

Just two plays later, rookie Tahj Washington fumbled, setting the Ravens up with a short field. On fourth down, Jackson found Mark Andrews in the back of the end zone for Baltimore’s first touchdown of the night.

From that point on, it was all Ravens.

Miami struggled to find any rhythm offensively, relying mostly on Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane for production. Baltimore, meanwhile, kept rolling.

On their next drive, Jackson orchestrated a 7-play, 75-yard march, capping it off with another touchdown pass to Andrews — this time from 20 yards out. You could tell Jackson was still settling in after a few weeks off, shaking off rust and finding his timing.

But for the first time all season, the Ravens were fully healthy — 100% practice participation leading up to the game — and it showed.

Miami missed a field goal just before halftime, allowing Baltimore to head into the locker room with a 14–6 lead.

After the break, the Ravens took complete control.

Lamar found his rhythm, and the defense slammed the door on the Dolphins’ offense. Jackson completed his first nine passes of the second half, while Derrick Henry dominated on the ground with 119 yards on 19 carries.

Lamar connected with Charlie Kolar for a touchdown — his second in as many weeks — and later found Rashod Bateman in the middle of the end zone after an extended scramble reminiscent of vintage Lamar Jackson.

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Ravens Review

Every game from here on out will feel like a playoff matchup. That’s the reality when you start the season 1–5 and lose your franchise quarterback for a month.

Thursday night, however, the Ravens looked like the team everyone expected back in August. The defense was healthy and aggressive, forcing turnovers and pitching a second-half shutout.

Defensive coordinator Zach Orr moved Kyle Hamilton all over the field — blitzing, dropping into coverage, and lining up in the box — constantly keeping Miami guessing.

The offensive line also delivered one of its best performances of the season, anchored by the return of left tackle Ronnie Stanley. With this win, and depending on how Pittsburgh fares this weekend, Baltimore sits just two games out of first place in the AFC North — with both matchups against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh still ahead.

If the Steelers lose Sunday, the Ravens will move within a single game of the division lead — something that seemed unlikely just three weeks ago.

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Stats & Players of the Game

Lamar Jackson: 18/23, 204 yards, 4 TDs; 5 carries, 14 yards

Derrick Henry: 19 carries, 119 yards

Zay Flowers: 5 receptions, 64 yards

Isaiah Likely: 3 receptions, 60 yards

Mark Andrews: 2 receptions, 22 yards, 2 TDs

Roquan Smith: 12 tackles

Kyle Hamilton: 6 tackles, 1 TFL

Players of the Game: Lamar Jackson and Kyle Hamilton

Jackson was nearly flawless, completing 78% of his passes with four touchdowns. Coming off a hamstring injury, his poise and efficiency were remarkable — especially for a quarterback whose game thrives on mobility.

Hamilton’s stat line doesn’t tell the whole story. Though credited with six tackles, his impact was far greater. Since Baltimore acquired Alohi Gilman from the Chargers, Orr has been able to deploy Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage, where he’s become a force against the run and an effective blitzer when pressure has been inconsistent.

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What’s Next

The Ravens now enjoy a mini-bye with 10 days of rest before traveling to Minnesota to face the Vikings on November 9th.

📅 Ravens vs. Vikings

🕐 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

🏟 U.S. Bank Stadium