The Baltimore Ravens might have lost the game to the Miami Dolphins 13-15, but that doesn't mean that there weren't positive players wearing purple on Sunday. Since the loss drops the Ravens down to 4-8, with the best record they can possibly have for the season being .500, we need to hear about the studs as much as possible.
Studs:
Javorius Allen - RB
Allen was a beast in both the run game and as a receiver. Even though offensive coordinator Marc Trestman kept the run/pass balance towards the passing game, Allen was able to put up 63 yards on the ground on only 17 rushes. It might not be a great average, but the rookie rusher was patient and showed vision in finding the holes that were there. Bad spots kept him from inching close to a touchdown as a runner and could very well have stolen it from him as well.
As a receiver, Allen really shined. He caught a team-high 12 balls for 107 yards and a touchdown. Again, it might not be the best average in the world, but with Matt Schaub throwing him short, Allen had to dive for a few that he could have let hit the turf with no complaints. 100 yards as a receiver is always a great day and as you can see from the number of receptions, he was the player the Ravens looked towards most.
Entire secondary
We here at Baltimore Beatdown have gotten on the secondary of the Baltimore Ravens for the past two seasons now. Poor play and injuries have kept this pass defense from being even average and it has killed the team's chances at the playoffs before the mid-way point. However, against a very capable Miami Dolphins offense, they kept quarterback Ryan Tannehill quiet. Only having 86 yards passing in this league is something that any defense should be proud of. Playing tight coverage without getting penalized, this is by far the best this secondary has played all season long.
Something of note is that the Ravens even substituted their reserve linebackers in for veteran linebacker Daryl Smith on passing downs. With tight ends having hurt them badly throughout the season, the rotation of some fresh, young players into the mix obviously helped. The only negative here is that the defense allowed a single big play. Without that big touchdown throw from Ryan Tannehill to Devante Parker, the Ravens win this game and hold the Dolphins to a paltry 48 yards through the air!
Duds:
Matt Schaub - QB
He took a massive beating and both of the interceptions are more of just terrible luck than his play, so just like last week, I hesitate to put him on this side of the list. He did throw for over 300 yards and had a 70% completion percentage on the day, two things that Joe Flacco had difficulty doing this season. Unlike Flacco though, he continues to put his team in a position to lose despite the stats.
Without just one of those interceptions, the Ravens easily win this game, which is why I think Schaub has to take the beating here. It also isn't like the rest of his day was perfect either as he pretty routinely bounced balls to receivers, underthrew some passes and just looked awful on others. Again, he did take a lot of hits, which is something that all fans should remember when they think about his performance. That being said, it might be time to see if Jimmy Clausen can give you a little boost and show you if he deserves to be the backup quarterback in 2016 and beyond.
Marc Trestman - OC
This is the second game where he has not only allowed quarterback Matt Schaub to throw the ball, but overwhelmingly so. The 34-year old quarterback doesn't have the same arm as Joe Flacco and has a knack for throwing pick-sixes as he did again Sunday, yet the run/pass balance is even further out of control than it was with a healthy Flacco at the helm. 46 pass attempts against the team with the absolute worst run defense in the league. 46 pass attempts when your quarterback is taking a pounding for most of the game. 46 pass attempts when your starting quarterback has thrown pick-sixes like he's color blind and unsure of what team he plays on any more. 46 pass attempts to only 25 rushes.
There will be games where coaches call a little confusingly, and fans begin to scratch their heads. But Trestman called nearly double the number of rushing plays you run against the league's worst run defense, when the Ravens were still clearly in the game. There were so many reasons to keep the ball on the ground at least as often as passing it, if not more, so the ratio is beyond inexcusable.