Our quick thoughts today come from ExtremeRavens staffer John (aka BallTMore) … and we thank him for his help!

The Ravens got back on track in Miami today… it wasn’t the prettiest or easiest win they’ve ever had, but it was a win nonetheless. The team definitely showed some signs of growth.

-Joe Flacco had a solid day throwing the ball. He finished with a 74% completion percentage and a passer rating of 120 (120!). He looked good again throwing the ball to the sideline and made good decisions when dumping the ball off, keeping the Ravens out of long yardage situations. His fumbling when being hit in still a concern; it seems like the ball could come loose at any second when he is being sacked. In the long run, hopefully we’ll see Joltin’ Joe put it all together, but today was a nice step forward for a rookie coming off three tough games.

-Flacco’s main target, Derek Mason, had another solid game making defenders miss while piling up the YAC yardage. Mason also snatched a TD, and unusually rare occurence for the Ravens most dominant receiver. We’re all still waiting for the other receivers on the roster to show up.

-Willis McGahee ran hard and made great cuts. His fumble in Miami territory was horrible, but overall he had a great day. It appears that the team is moving away from Le’Ron McClain as a primary back now that McGahee is healthier. McClain had just 6 carries today and 2 carries last week in the loss to Indianapolis. McClain will likely still get plenty of touches relative to other fullbacks in the league, but his bruising days seem numbered. Ray Rice, however, is starting to see more action, which is a nice turn.

-Terrell Suggs came up big with an early pick-six which fired up the D. The defense was solid for most of the day, and wasn’t going to allow Miami’s Wildcat offense to beat them. It didn’t. They still give up too much underneath yardage and yardage on throws down the middle of the field, but it didn’t hurt them today … reminiscent of the old D’s “Bend, Don’t Break” mantra.

-Sam Koch is playing like a Pro-Bowler. His punts continue to pin the opposing team back and give the Ravens defense plenty of help. Give him your vote and send him to Hawaii here: http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot.

-Matt Stover showed he still has some leg in him, hitting a 47 yard field goal. Don’t expect one kick to silence his critics, though.

… once more, many thanks to John for his help!