It’s been a challenging three weeks for the Ravens, facing three solid teams - all with playoff expectations - and losing all three in difficult fashion. Each game has provided the Ravens with different challenges and new problems for not getting the ‘W,’ but none more so than the Indianapolis loss last week. The Ravens self-destructed against the Colts and lost just about every match-up.

Things will have to be very different in Miami for the Ravens to win against the Dolphins. Luckily, however, the Dolphins are a very different team from the Colts.

Here are two key match-ups to watch heading into Sunday.

Dolphins’ Offense vs. Ravens’ Defense

Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano vs. Ravens’ Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan

Who’s tricks are trickier?

Anyone who’s followed Ravens football for more than this season is used to and expects to see some funky things out of Rex Ryan. He’s known around the league as one of the best, if not the best, defensive coordinator. And his success comes from his ability to shock and awe opponents with his ’smart’ defenses. While most teams are used to offensive shifts and motion, Ryan fires back with his own motion. There are plays where the entire defensive line stands up and reorganizes just seconds before the snap.

Ryan and the Ravens have comes to call it “organized chaos.” The Ravens succeed behind Ryan’s system because they work hard enough, mentally and physically, to keep it all straight. They know what they are doing and where they should be, despite where they may be lining up on the field. While offenses and fans might see a jumble of purple jerseys, the Ravens’ D prides itself on its chaotic scheming… and still making plays.

In Miami, they are getting used to a similar style on the offensive side of the ball. Under head coach Tony Sparano, the Dolphins have introduced and succeeded with a number of gadget and trick plays, particularly out of the Wildcat formation. It’s not particularly new in football (not at all, really), but it’s not often seen in the NFL.

In the Wildcat formation, running back Ronnie Brown lines up as the quarterback in the shotgun, running back Ricky Williams lines up to the left as a wide out, the offensive line is heavy set to the right side, and quarterback Chad Pennington was lined-up wide left as a receiver. Got all that?

The Dolphins first got noticed for the formation in their route of the Patriots in Week 3. Ronnie Brown took the direct snap five different times, running a delay up the middle for four touchdowns and passing once for another. In Week 5, the Dolphins used the formation again in their win over the Chargers; again Brown was able to score off the direct snap. Last week, in their loss to the Texans, the Dolphins successfully used the formation again. This time, Brown handed off to Williams in an apparent end-around, but Williams then handed off to Pennington wide left, who threw the ball to Patrick Cobbs for a 53 yard TD.

Sparano was an offensive protege of Bill Parcells. Anyone that knows Bill Parcells knows that he too loved the gadget. The Dolphins have said that Wildcat is here to stay under Sparano, especially so long as they can execute it appropriately. It gives the offense a ton of options - reverses, direct runs, delayed runs, passes, etc. And while it’s easy to recognize the formation, defending against the formation is much harder.

In all, it comes down to this. We don’t often see the Ravens fooled by trick plays, but not many teams try them. Even Pittsburgh let theirs go with coach Bill Cowher’s exit. But it’s not just the trick plays that matter. The Wildcat is a sign of Sparano’s creativity with his offense. The Dolphins have lots of weapons and Sparano is finding out how to use them. This game is all about the coaching when the Dolphins have the ball. If the Ravens can stay true, they have the tools to defend the Fins attack. If Sparano can get creative and find which Ravens are cheating, there could be plenty of trouble for this defense.

Ravens’ Offense vs. Dolphins’ Defense

Ravens Linemen Chris Chester and Willie Anderson vs. Dolphins LB Joey Porter

The Ravens and Joey Porter go back a ways. Porter started with the Steelers after being drafted in 1999 and was a constant source of controversey in Ravens-Steelers games during his tenure in the AFC North. In addition to his consistent hassling of lame Ravens QBs (Dilfer, Banks, Boller, Grbac, etc), his antics and words have riled up the Ravens like few others. It’s nothing the Ravens shouldn’t be used to, but it still seems to get under their skin. In particular, he is remembered in Baltimore for his fiery ‘boot stomping’ celebration (often mocked by Terrell Suggs) and for pushing an injured Todd Heap before a play in a game several years ago.

Regardless of what he’s remembered for, though, Porter’s play is what matters. His last season in Pittsburgh and his first season in Miami were sub-par. Porter is a pass rusher, through and through. In 2006 he totaled 7 sacks with the Steelers and in 2007 he managed just 5.5. Even his forced fumbles fell to just one in that two year span.

This year, though, Porter is having a renaissance of sorts. He already has 6.5 sacks, ranking him among the league’s best and already eclipsing his total from 2007. The Dolphins schemes have let him run wild at the quarterback. He’s taking the place of long-time Dolphins pass rusher Jason Taylor and filling in quite well since Taylor’s move to Washington.

[Cue ominous music.]

The Ravens offense has struggled mightily in moving the ball in its last three games, even against the hapless Colts defensive unit. And now the news gets worse. The Ravens have lost starting RG Marshal Yanda for the remainder of the season and starting RT Adam Terry is unlikely to play this week with a sprained knee.

And yes, you guessed it, Porter likes to rush at the offense’s right side.

In place of Yanda and Terry, the Ravens will start Chris Chester at guard and Willie Anderson at tackle. Both should be more than suitable as replacements - Anderson is a former pro-bowler and Chester started with the Ravens for two seasons. But in last week’s lost to the Colts, it was LE Robert Mathis, rushing at Anderson and Chester, hitting quarterback Joe Flacco most often. The right side of the line has to do a better job of protecting Flacco this week or we won’t have a rookie quarterback to talk about for much longer.

The Ravens offensive success in this game will rely primarily on running the ball. But Flacco and the passing attack have to contribute at least a bit to keep the defense honest. For Flacco to succeed, he needs to be protected. It’s up to Anderson and Chester to make sure that Porter isn’t getting any free shots (and hopefully not many cheap shots, either) on their QB.