3 Reasons the Dolphins Will Upset the Ravens in Week 2

The Miami Dolphins relied on a strong defense and an improved passing attack to earn a 20-7 Week 1 win over the New England Patriots. Head coach Mike McDaniel said after the game that he is "happy about the direction" the team is going in, but he knows how hard it is to win on the road in the NFL.

Win on the road is exactly what the Dolphins will have to do in Week 2. Miami enters M&T Bank Stadium as a 3.5-point underdog against the Baltimore Ravens, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds. Here's a look at three reasons McDaniel's squad will be able to pull off an upset, though.

Dolphins vs Ravens Week 2

1. One-Two Punch at Wide Receiver

It didn't take long for wide receiver Tyreek Hill to make his presence felt in the Dolphins' passing attack. He led the team with a whopping 12 targets in Week 1 and turned those targets into eight receptions for 94 yards. Meanwhile, second-year pro Jaylen Waddle dazzled the crowd with a 42-yard touchdown catch. The Ravens are going to have their hands full attempting to shut both of Miami's playmakers down for all four quarters. After all, Baltimore gave up 307 yards through the air against a New York Jets team that features little proven talent at WR. That doesn't bode well for Sunday.

2. An Opportunistic Defense

The Dolphins' defense isn't exactly filled with All-Pro talents, but that didn't matter in Week 1. Miami logged three crucial takeaways against the Patriots, which included a scoop and score by linebacker Melvin Ingram. That touchdown as well as an interception that set the Dolphins up in the red zone allowed the team to build an early lead and never look back. Miami tied for the eighth-most takeaways in 2021 (26) and got off to a great start in 2022. Forcing the Ravens into a few mistakes in Week 2 would boost the Dolphins' chances of winning in a big way.

3. Ravens' Underwhelming Rushing Attack

The Ravens were one of the best rushing teams in the league last season as they averaged 145.8 yards on the ground per game (No. 3 in NFL). However, that rushing attack was nowhere to be found in Week 1. Baltimore racked up only 63 yards on 21 carries (3.0-yard average) despite playing with a lead for most of the game. Veteran Kenyan Drake struggled to get to the second level as starter JK Dobbins was sidelined with a knee injury. The Dolphins took down the Ravens in 2021 because they constantly blitzed quarterback Lamar Jackson and forced him to throw the football. A similar game plan could guide them to a win on Sunday, too.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.