Alex Collins, Ravens Pummel Dolphins 40-0 Despite Joe Flacco Concussion

The Baltimore Ravens earned an important 40-0 home win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium.

Baltimore had dropped four of its last five games before beating the Dolphins. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers lose Sunday to the Detroit Lions, the Ravens (4-4) would climb to within a game of first place in the AFC North.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, slipped to a full game behind the New England Patriots in the race for the AFC East crown after falling to 4-3.

The Ravens may have won, but it came at a cost as the team confirmed starting quarterback Joe Flacco entered the NFL's concussion protocol in the second quarter after starting the game 10-of-15 for 101 yards and a touchdown.

On a 3rd-and-10 at the Dolphins' 20-yard line with 3:14 left in the first half, Flacco tucked the ball and attempted to run for the first down. As Flacco was in the process of sliding, Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso hit Flacco high, knocking his helmet off.

Ravens offensive lineman Ryan Jensen shoved Alonso in retaliation, which sparked a minor scuffle between the teams. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh also exchanged words with Alonso. 

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas understood any anger Ravens players might have had after the hit:

Officials flagged Alonso for unnecessary roughness, and he remained in the game. ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell and CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora questioned whether that went far enough:

Flacco's injury overshadowed an otherwise excellent first half from the Ravens. They held the Dolphins to 87 total yards and averaged nearly three more yards per play (5.6) than Miami (2.7).

Jeremy Maclin caught his third touchdown of the year, which eclipsed his total from 2016. At the 8:25 mark of the first quarter, Flacco threaded the needle to find Maclin for a 34-yard touchdown pass. The NFL shared a replay of the score:

Three plays after Flacco's exit in the second quarter, Mallett also threw his second touchdown pass of the year when he hit Benjamin Watson in the end zone from two yards out to help put Baltimore ahead 20-0:

In a worrying sign for the Ravens, the offense ground to a halt once Flacco left the game. Baltimore's first three drives ended in two punts and a missed field goal.

C.J. Mosley's pick-six in the fourth quarter gave the Ravens their first points of the second half, and they added another touchdown when Chris Moore recovered Javorius Allen's fumble in the end zone. Jimmy Smith capped off Baltimore's scoring with the defense's second pick-six of the game.

Mallett finished 3-of-7 for 20 yards and a touchdown.

Alex Collins provided a source of optimism in running for 113 yards on 18 carries. Collins' rushing total nearly matched his entire rookie season's with the Seattle Seahawks (125 yards). The Ravens signed Collins shortly after Seattle waived him in September.

NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal and CBSSports.com's Jamey Eisenberg wondered whether the Seahawks are regretting that decision:

Should Flacco's concussion rule him out for Baltimore's Week 9 matchup with the Tennessee Titans, the Ravens will need Collins to be a workhorse once again.

While the focus was on Flacco, the Dolphins have offensive issues of their own, as Matt Moore struggled while filling in for an injured Jay Cutler (ribs). Moore was 25-of-44 for 176 yards and two interceptions.

Jay Ajayi gained 23 yards on 13 carries.

Entering the game, Miami ranked 29th in offensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders. Thursday's contest showed that Cutler shouldn't shoulder all of the blame for the offense's problems.

Miami was held scoreless in the first half for the fourth time this year, which NFL Research put into perspective:

The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson noted the Dolphins' lopsided scoring margin through their first seven games:

Thursday's defeat doesn't throw the Dolphins' playoff hopes into oblivion, but it's hard to see how they can maintain their postseason push without significant improvement from their offense. 

The Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl in 2015 despite having a below-average offense. Unlike the Broncos, Miami doesn't have a defense that ranks among the league's best. Football Outsiders lists the Dolphins as 22nd in defensive efficiency.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday the Dolphins expect to have Cutler back for their Week 9 matchup with the Oakland Raiders.

Cutler's return alone won't cure what ails Miami. The extra days the team's coaching staff has to prepare for Oakland could allow for tweaks to the scheme that break the Dolphins out of their offensive funk.

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from Bleacher Report - Baltimore Ravens http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2740946-alex-collins-ravens-pummel-dolphins-40-0-despite-joe-flacco-concussion