Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen insinuated that the Miami Dolphins are a team of softies that play gimmick football.Miami coach Mike McDaniel wasn’t overly thrilled with Queen’s analogy of teams “playing basketball on grass.”
The Dolphins will be able to show they can deliver a tough brand of football Sunday when they visit the Ravens in a clash between the AFC’s top two teams.
Both the Ravens (12-3) and Dolphins (11-4) have clinched playoff spots, and Baltimore would claim the conference’s top seed with a victory.
It also is a clash of a Miami offense that leads the NFL in scoring at 30.9 points per game and total offense at 411.5 yards per game against a Baltimore defense that allows a league-low 16.3 points per outing.
There certainly is no disputing the Ravens’ brand of physical football, and it was on full display Christmas night when Baltimore easily beat the host San Francisco 49ers 33-19.
Kyle Shanahan coaches the 49ers and McDaniel is a former San Francisco assistant in his second season of running a similar system as the Dolphins coach.
So Queen’s postgame comments on Monday basically were a case of delivering shots at two teams at once.
“We play a brand of football that people don’t want to play,” Queen said. “Everybody wants to be out here (being) cute, playing basketball on grass and stuff, and we are not with all that. You can do all that stuff — we’re just going to hit you in the mouth every play, honestly.
“We couldn’t care less about all the pretty stuff you do, gimmick stuff. You still have to line up and play football. You still have to get touched, so that’s our mindset. That’s how we want to come out and just hit people in the mouth.”
Miami has won five of its past six games while McDaniel tries to shake off naysayers.
“There’s always going to be something that you have to prove,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “A great thing about this profession, what we do is you get an opportunity to define yourself every single game.”
As for being branded with the basketball on grass label, McDaniel was miffed.
“It’s kind of odd, though,” McDaniel said. “I feel like I haven’t checked lately, but I feel like we’re pretty good at stopping the run and running the football, and that has generally not been associated with cuteness.”
As for the Ravens, the rout of the 49ers was their seventh victory by 14 or more points this season.
“I believe we play better under pressure,” Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson said. “I don’t think anybody plays like us. We just need to keep playing that way and keep playing the Raven way.”
Jackson is viewed as the leader in the NFL MVP derby. The 2019 MVP has passed for 3,357 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions while also rushing for 786 yards and five scores this season.
“Great with his feet and his arm. Dynamic,” Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb said of Jackson. “A great challenge. These are the games you live for.”
The Ravens have won five straight games and eight of nine entering the contest. However, Miami beat Baltimore in each of the past two seasons.
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton had two of his team’s five interceptions against San Francisco before leaving in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. He sat out Wednesday’s walkthrough, as did receiver Zay Flowers (calf) and guard Kevin Zeitler (knee/quadriceps).
Queen (shoulder) and linebacker Roquan Smith (pectoral) were among Baltimore’s seven limited participants.
Among those who sat out practice for the Dolphins were star receivers Tyreek Hill (ankle) and Jaylen Waddle (ankle) and running backs Raheem Mostert (knee/ankle) and De’Von Achane (toe). Left tackle Terron Armstead (knee/ankle/back) also missed the session.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (left thumb/quadriceps) was among six limited Miami players. Cornerback Xavien Howard (hip/thumb) and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (wrist) were also part of that group.
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