1) OLB Terrell Suggs vs. LT Jake Long
Suggs has seen success against Long in the past. In two meetings with the Dolphins in 2008, Suggs notched one sack during the regular season and another sack in the playoffs. Long even made the first of his two Pro Bowls that year. The 6-foot-7, 317-pound Long has been a beast in 2010, as well, cementing his status as one of the NFL’s best at his position. For a Ravens team that wants to amp up its sack totals, Suggs must win that challenge.
2) CB Fabian Washington vs. WR Brandon Marshall
Washington admitted he had a rough day against the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago, but he can’t dwell on it with the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Marshall coming to town. Marshall is a guy that can do it all, but his bread and butter is breaking tackles and taking off down field. Washington needs to wrap up and wait for teammates to swarm the Dolphins’ No. 1 wideout to prevent those long gains from underneath routes.
3) ILB Ray Lewis vs. RBs Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown
The Dolphins aren’t expected to use a lot of the Wildcat formation – they haven’t all season – but if they do, it is incumbent on Lewis to make the right calls on defense and make sure his troops maintain gap integrity. If that happens, Lewis – the Ravens’ top tackler – should be able to seek and destroy the random ball-carrier.
4) RB Ray Rice vs. S Yeremiah Bell
With 55 stops, Bell is Miami’s tackles leader. When one sees that, it is typically a sign that a team’s defensive front seven is porous. Not the case with the Dolphins. They like to bring Bell up in run support, where the 6-foot, 205-pounder packs a punch. Rice is one of those shifty, hard-to-find players behind the line of scrimmage, and when he pops out from the mass of humanity at the line of scrimmage, Bell will be there.
5) LT Michael Oher vs. WLB Cameron Wake
Wake, a former Canadian Football League superstar, is one of the NFL’s leading pass rushers with 6 ½ sacks to his credit already. That shouldn’t phase Oher, who’s seen his share of elite sackers already this season. He even held Pittsburgh’s James Harrison sack-free in Week 4. Oher’s quick first step will be key, because Wake is a bullet off the line.