Will Lamar Jackson and the Ravens DESTROY the Miami Dolphins? Lamar Jackson RETURNS! | First Take

Will Lamar Jackson and the Ravens DESTROY the Miami Dolphins? Lamar Jackson RETURNS! | First Take

Welcome to First Take. I’m Peter Shger. I’m here with Stephen A, Dan Arloski, Ryan Clark, and we are diving straight into the NFL. Lamar Jackson is making his much anticipated return from a hamstring injury tonight when the Ravens take on the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. His return comes not a moment too soon for a Baltimore team that has struggled through the early part of the season. Lamar knows that their two and five record means there’s no time to waste once he steps out on the field. Take a listen. Coach pretty much touched on that talking about that uh with us in the uh team meeting. You know, each and every game going to be like a win or go home game, you know. Um we started off first season ever starting off like this slow. So we have to just do or die right now each and every week. All right, Lamar’s back. Ryan Clark, what do you need to see tonight? Okay, we going to let him go first. But first of all, Peter, very very good to see you. You know what I’m saying? Appreciate you hosting the show cuz I’m still looking like Jab and all that. You look great. But but here’s the point. Do you not see the fly casual sympotica we got rocking right now? I mean, you can’t just start off the show talking about Lamar J. I appreciate that. But Dan, you know what I’m saying? You’re wearing a black jacket. I’m just I’m just letting you know. I’m just let Listen, I want you to take notes. I want you to take notes because I’m I want to see a different kind of like casual style look on you. Now, he wears he goes casual for get up on Thursday, but it’s mostly like his little chest hair that show. He just opened it up like Louis Ridd chess show. That’s what it is. That’s what you do. I agree. But I wear a tie because if you don’t wear a tie, you’re always like, “Where’d you talk?” No, no. I’m just saying I just on the show today. I’m just saying just diversify your wardrobe and just the look has been a bit ordinary from you. You got you got to see what he put on when he takes the suit off. He took he took his suit off. Where were we just now? Uh we were in Kansas City. In Kansas City. Oh man. He go straight he go straight pelar clothes. athleisure, but it ain’t athleisure. You know, you know his calves bigger than his thighs, so the pants stop. The pants stuck on his thigh. It’s a bad look, man. I got ankles, man. I got Now we can get to the I just wanted to make sure we rocked that. We we we let you look great. It is a nice suit. It’s a very nice suit, Dave. Thank you. It really is. Ryan, new money. Your thoughts on Lamar coming back? Well, the the thing is, right, you’re excited about Lamar coming back. I think what we noticed is the Cooper Rush acquisition in the offseason was the most mind-boggling acquisition ever. You see Tyler Huntley play last week. This offense flow Patrick Ricard is back. Isaiah likely is back. And so now you can get into the offense that you were expected to have at the beginning of the season. Not to mention the one player who didn’t have an issue for the Baltimore Ravens was Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson was playing at an extremely high level. But what excites you about tonight is that we’ve seen this defense start to come along with the acquisition of Aloe Gilman. Now you can deploy Kyle Hamilton in all the ways we see a Derwin James deployed when we look at the the Los Angeles Chargers. And so tonight it’s about how do they take that next step, get that next win because the rest of the division is falling back to them. I want them to blow the doors off the Dolphins tonight for for them to for me me to think that okay, this could be real. They got to blow the doors off the Dolphins. The Dolphins played really well last week. It was the most physical game that they have played under Mike McDaniel probably ever. But this is a team that’s been in turmoil all season long. This is an unknown kind of sleeping giant right now in Baltimore. Remind everybody last year they broke records on offense for rushing average. They broke records in yards per play since like 2000. This was a historically great offense. Most that offense is back this year. We just haven’t seen it. Tonight will be the first snap that we get with Lamar Jackson, Dererick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins, Isaiah likely, and Patrick Ricard. The offense that we saw last year hasn’t played a snap together this year. So, this offense tonight, I want to see domination. I want to see them blow the doors off the Dolphins because then if they do, then that makes me think, all right, I I this this team’s got the chance to do the unthinkable of how they started and can they get back into the division race and then can they matter into December and maybe into the playoffs? And so I don’t want to see this team play average football and squeak out a win. 2017 wouldn’t be enough. Get out of here, dude. This team, if if I’m going to think that they can do what has the chance to get done when it comes to erasing that start, I want them to beat the the absolute snot out of I said snot. I said snot. Only reason only reason I know you don’t curse. I said I mean what the fudge. I said snot. I said snot. Listen. Here’s the deal, y’all. I just want to see some defense. Yeah, I don’t mind what you’re saying. I don’t mind what you’re saying. But the first order of business is defense. Last time I checked, Tyreek Hill is out for the year. I mean, that that that’s a elite weapon that the Miami Dolphins don’t have. And we all know that they’ve been considered relatively soft until they went up against Atlanta and did what they did last week. What will you talk about when we talk about the Ravens defense right now? Total defense 28th. Scoring defense 30th, third down defense 28th. Red zone defense 26, takeaways tied for 30th in the league. Sacks tied for, you know, they at 30th in the league. That’s the Baltimore Ravens defense that we’ve been watching for the most part. First five weeks of the season allowed 35 and a half points per game. 408.8 yards per game. I’m simply saying, you want to convince me that you’re a team that I need to take seriously. Let’s call it what it is. We all know that week to week we expect some kind of explosion from Lamar Jackson, a Lamar Jackson offense. They’re going to find a way to get points. It might not be tonight because he’s been out the last three weeks. It might be a real a little bit rusty. All we know, but we expect the Baltimore Ravens to put points on the board. The reason why we have found ourselves a bit depressed, dare I say, by what we have seen from the Baltimore Ravens this year is because for the most part, that defense hasn’t replicated what we’ve come to know them to be spanning decades, spanning decades. That mystique is gone. And I’m saying to you, you want to show me that you’re a team to be taken seriously like we’re to look at the Baltimore Ravens like they’re the Baltimore Ravens, you got to go out there and stop. Hold on. Can I ask you a question? Yes, sir. So, you mean tell me? Yes, sir. Did they beat the Dolphins tonight? Mhm. 174. I’m not tripping. My just getting back. I just finished saying rust. I just said rust. So So here’s my here’s my two things that I I want to make sure people know. This isn’t last year’s or the year before Baltimore Ravens. Okay. Derrick Henry still a really good player. Not the Derrick Henry he even was last year. Even in just watching him is not the same. with the explosion week one against the Bills. He hasn’t been the same since then. But Keem Mitchell, more stepped in, more touches for Keith Mitchell, right? Let’s get Justice Hill the ball. Let’s allow Lamar Jackson, everything to flow through him now that Patrick Ricard and Isaiah Likely is back. And the other piece is, yes, last week was the most physical game we’ve seen the Miami Dolphins play, right? A lot of pony personnel. And for people who don’t know, that’s two backs, but you had two halfbacks in the game. So we went Ali Garden, Gordon and Han 37 carries, right? And so now that was different for them. And also this team has played well at home. You beat the Jets badly at home. You have the Bills on the ropes at home. We’re looking at the Colts and the Browns game, which are two road games where they got boat raced and saying that this team isn’t good. But you go watch them go on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. They are different. So I don’t need to see dominance. I do need to see defense, right? I do need to see how we’re going to continue to use Rocoan Smith and Kyle Hamilton at the dime and the mic position. Can Rocoan repeat a good performance? And what you want to see from Lamar Jackson is just Lamar Jackson type type stuff and from Todd Monkin get the football in the playmakaker hands early and I saw that with Tyler Huntley to Z Flowers last week. Yeah, I I would say this in regards to the defensive perspective. They’ve been ba better the past two weeks. No question or last two games, excuse me. Much better. Kyle getting down near the football is a game changer. That that’s Kyle Hamilton has to be down near the ball. You played with one of the all-time great safeties, he had a little bit of that to his game. Like every time he was near the football, something good happened for their defense. I agree with Rocoan. The reason why I say domination is we’re not expecting this football team to like get in the race. We’re expecting this football team to clearly win their division and then go and be one of those powers in the AFC. But but but tell me why you watch the film of the Baltimore Ravens this season, not your preconceived notions in the preseason, this season, and say that we expect them to not to not just get in the race. They are a just get in the race team right now. Yes. Yeah. But one, I I think that the lack of health on offense, I’m a person who I think Patrick Ricard is as important to their offense as just about any player. He completely transforms them and likely. So, not having those two guys a little bit with issues with the offense and defensively was the main problem. I think again like defensively there’s been a little bit more of a commitment to being physical at the line of scrimmage. That wasn’t the case. Mike Green, the rookie, got a sack last week. Yeah. So, like some of the athleticism off the perimeter. I agree with you. Like there’s not a lot on tape that tells me yes, this is one of the three or four best teams in the AFC, but we haven’t seen this team complete this year yet until tonight. And if we watch this team tonight, I promise you this team goes to Miami and boat races Miami and they beat him 30-13. There’s a completely different conversation going into Pittsburgh Indie on Sunday of like, oh my gosh, is this team really going to be back this year? All right. So, so a couple weeks ago, we were all saying the Dolphins need to blow things up. Mike McDaniel can’t get these guy. They show up in Atlanta. They run the ball 37 times for 100 plus yards. They dominate a good Falcons team in their building. Can the Dolphins rise from the ashes? And here’s the question, RC. Should the Ravens be on upset alert that maybe Miami found their mojo? Absolutely. Yeah, because I don’t think because I don’t think the Ravens are that team yet. The Ravens haven’t shown me a consistency of excellence that says you get to go walk in buildings like you used to just because your quarterback is number eight. Yeah, we know he’s an all-time great, but your team hasn’t played at that level. We don’t know that Nate Wiggins is going to step up week in and week out and be what we saw last week against the Chicago Bears. You don’t know that Aloy Gilman and Malachi starts on the back end are going to continue to work the way that they are. You find those things out through consistency. We haven’t seen that from this team and you know what it is too man like in in some I agree with you the Dolphins thing. I was like man Tua all this pillow talking like like how do you fix that? You know how you fix it? You go out and play really well. Yeah. you cut it loose and you say you know what I can’t change the perception of all the people who talk about me but I can change the perception in the way I move within this locker room and we saw that and for the first time Stephen A and I know you speak to this a lot Mike McDaniel came out and said Tua knows he made made a mistake we have had those conversations we had never heard that from Mike McDaniel that’s fair but it’s too late let’s call it what it is Buffalo Bills and new did they did they switch divisions I’m not aware I’m not I mean I may not be aware I might have every little old me. I don’t know. I mean, maybe they ain’t in the AFC East no more. I mean, for all I know, it’s just the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. And who who the hell knows? Maybe Pittsburgh’s in the AFC East and somebody didn’t tell us. Maybe the Cleveland Browns in the AFC East and somebody didn’t wait. Excuse me. So, you go Browns, Dolphins, and Pittsburgh. No. So, so, so, so what you’re saying is double dutch. What you’re saying is when we’re talking about we’re saying when we talking about the tears of teams in the AFC, you got the Dolphins on the You got the Steelers on the same tier with the Dolphins and the Browns. All right. First of all, first of all, my brother, cuz I love you, man. I’m about to hurt your feelings. Yes. Let me explain. Let me explain. Um, the Dolphins could turn things around, start winning football games. Too late. You ain’t catching New England. You ain’t catching Buffalo. That means you going to be home. Steelers going to end up losing that damn AFC North. You know what I’m saying? They’re going to lose this Sunday. You don’t think they beat Indy, do you? You understand what I’m saying? Am I supposed to believe they going to beat the Indianapolis coach? I don’t believe that. I’m watching the defense. Second oldest defense in the league. Pay road. You spent the over what? 175 17. Okay. I mean, this is what they spent. All right. And what we getting for it? I’m watching. I saw them lose the last four regular season games last year. I saw them lose the players at the end of the season losing five straight to see a year before. I saw them finish 500 last six games of the season. This is historic. This is history. I’m looking at right here. I’m looking at the pattern and there’s nothing for me to believe that they’re not going to get caught within their own division. So, the commonality is that Miami going to be home watching the postseason just like my damn Pittsburgh did. I’m not happy about this. I’m very upset about it. Okay. when it comes to Pittsburgh. But I can’t ignore reality, okay? I’m not pivoting. I’m staying right where I’m at going questioning what the hell I’ve been seeing from a Steelers defense. By the way, getting paid boot dollars and playing like hot trash. Now, back to the Miami Dolphins. And let’s be very, very clear. You ran with the football last. I I know that to her threw the ball effectively, passed a rating 130. I got all that. Fine. Fine. Fine. Oh, no. Might be wondering about Atlanta supposed to have a stout defense. All of a sudden, they just stuck roller coaster ride. This is what the Atlanta Falcons do. Okay? Cuz Bejian Robinson is just that dude. He’s so special. I can’t stand seeing them lose. I just don’t like it because he’s electrifying and I want to see more of them. But I’m looking at the Miami Dolphins and I’m saying this about Mike McDaniels. So what you going to win a few games and then you going to make things interest? So you see we you getting on the right track. We supposed to buy another year of faith in him. Been there long enough. Still ain’t won a damn playoff game. You understand? I’m not looking at them with any degree of confidence whatsoever. A matter of fact, we all know two is one hit away. You understand what I’m saying? From getting rattled. We all know we we we understand this. We understand what it is. Okay. So, I’m just looking at it and I’m saying you could talk all you want about the Dolphins. It’s too little too late. New England’s been ascending. Buffalo Bills haven’t gone anywhere. And unless they switch divisions, it don’t matter what Miami does to this. We were talking about tonight. Stephen A. Baltimore. I know it’s your show, but dang. No, you Peter because you stopped me because of Pittsburgh. You derailed with me. You went straight into like a home queen, but you you derailed me. I was going there, but then you stopped and interrupted me and I was answering your question. Jaylen Wadd take you have rules cuz you need to put some rules up that the man can’t answer a question that ain’t been asked. Steelers somehow topic. How much are the steel million man? That’s a lot of money, man. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Dan Orlovsky and Ryan Clark join Peter Schrager to discuss what will happen when the Baltimore Ravens face off against the Miami Dolphins. Plus, Lamar Jackson is back!

0:00 Lamar Jackson is making his return!
0:30 Lamar Jackson’s comments
0:48 Thoughts on Dan O’s style
2:15 Thoughts on Lamar Jackson returning and the Baltimore Ravens
4:40 The Ravens defense
6:20 The Baltimore Ravens vs. the Miami Dolphins
9:30 Should the Ravens be on upset alert?
11:00 Thoughts on the Dolphins
13:12 Thoughts on Tua Tagovailoa

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