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(SportsNetwork.com) - Oh, to be in the NFC South in 2014. If the Baltimore Ravens could jump regions and conferences prior to Week 14s slate of games, theyd head to Miamis Sun Life Stadium on Sunday with a comfortable two-game lead and at least one eye toward finalizing arrangements for a home playoff game in early January. Instead, the trip to South Florida - given the jumbled competitive reality that is the AFC this year - is far more in the class of full-on business desperation than leisurely holiday comfort. The Ravens and Dolphins are two of six conference teams with 7-5 records through 12 games, which means their get-together takes on particular urgency as the seasons final quarter gets under way. Baltimore seemed destined for a more stable 8-4 record and a firm hold on playoff destiny heading into the fourth quarter last week, but instead saw a 10-point lead evaporate into a 34-33 loss to San Diego. It was a second straight prolific performance for an opposing quarterback, with Philip Rivers amassing 383 yards and three touchdown passes just six days after Drew Brees threw for 420 yards and three scores in a game the Ravens ultimately won, 34-27, at New Orleans. Ravens QB Joe Flacco had two TD passes last week before the late meltdown. Miami enters the game with just 27 completions of more than 20 yards and just one TD pass of that length, but Baltimore coach John Harbaugh isnt lessening the emphasis on secondary performance. Weve got to make some plays, he said. Thats really what it boils down to. The return of starting cornerback Asa Jackson from an injured toe could help. The third-year man last played in Week 5 before being placed on the returnable injured reserve list. He had 16 tackles and a pass deflection in early season action before the hiatus. The loss of Pro Bowl defensive lineman Haloti Ngata certainly wont help. Ngata was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the leagues policy on performance-enhancing substances Thursday. Ngata said he took Adderall and apologized for the transgression that will keep him out of Baltimores remaining four games of the regular season. I made a mistake, and I own this, said Ngata in a statement Thursday. I took Adderall and take full responsibility for doing this. I am deeply sorry and broken up over this. I let down my family, my teammates, Ravens fans and myself. My hope is that the Ravens make the playoffs, and I believe they can do this. And, then I can come back and help us win. Ngata, in his ninth season with the Ravens, is the center of Baltimores defense as the prominent run stopper in the clubs 3-4 scheme. He has 31 tackles with two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in 12 games this season. This is disappointing news for the Ravens, said general manager Ozzie Newsome. We are disappointed with Haloti, but no more than he is with himself. The Dolphins defeated the New York Jets on Monday to improve to 7-5, but theyve allowed better than 200 rushing yards to two consecutive opponents for the first time in 24 years. Coincidentally, the Ravens backfield is occupied by Justin Forsett, who leads the NFL with a 5.6-yard average per carry and has gained 400 yards while scoring four times in Baltimores last three games. Flacco has four passing TDs and no interceptions in the same three-game stretch, and Baltimore for the season is sixth in the league with an average of 27.3 points per game. Its hard to overload the box because they have those threats on the perimeter, Miami coach Joe Philbin said. I think the key for them has been balance. Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed just 21 of 40 passes in a three- point home loss to the Ravens in 2013, but hes been among the hottest QBs in the league lately - completing at least 70 percent of his throws in five consecutive games. The last two passers with six-game runs of 70 percent or better were named Favre (in 2007) and Manning (Peyton, in 2008 and 2012). Tannehill was 25-for-35 for 235 yards against the Jets. Their offense is a spread-option type of an offense that Tannehill runs very effectively - a lot of weapons, Harbaugh said. They spread the ball out, they spread the formations out, they run the read option, they run the dive, quarterback keepers, quarterback-follow plays. Miami, which is tied with Buffalo in the AFC East - two games behind New England - faces the Patriots next week before finishing with Minnesota and a home rematch with the Jets. The Dolphins last made the playoffs in 2008. Weve talked to them more about the month of December and the importance of each and every game in December, Philbin said. This one that we have coming up, Baltimore, both on paper and on film, is as good as team as weve seen. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Elvis is in the Backfield Baltimore pass rusher Elvis Dumervil has 12 1/2 sacks in 2014 and was a chronic thorn in Rivers side last week, forcing three hurries and hitting the San Diego QB twice. Right tackle Dallas Thomas draws the assignment against him after allowing three pressures, but no sacks, in Mondays defeat of the Jets. Thomas could be aided by Tannehills ability to throw while moving away from rushers. Beating the Replacement Miamis Cortland Finnegan was a no-go at cornerback against New York and is listed as questionable for this week. If hes again unable to play, or less than 100 percent, it tilts a matchup in the favor of Ravens veteran Steve Smith. R.J. Stanford started in Finnegans place Monday, but hell be much more challenged by Flacco and Smith than he was by the Jets tandem of Geno Smith and Eric Decker. OVERALL ANALYSIS Though the Dolphins have won five of their last eight games - and only dropped the other three by a combined 10 points - a noticeable theme across 12 games is that theyve feasted on lesser foes, and struggled with better ones. The five losses have all come against teams with at least seven wins, while the seven wins include Jacksonville, Oakland and the Jets. Baltimore is good, and matches up well. We have a huge game down in Miami, Harbaugh said. There will a lot on the line and theyll be ready and theyre good. Well have a great opportunity to make a move. Its going to be very competitive (and) down to the wire to make the playoffs, to win the division, and we are in the thick of it. Sports Network predicted outcome: Ravens 28, Dolphins 27 Kevin Labanc Jersey . Forsman closed with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions Sunday for his third Champions Tour title. He beat Jay Don Blake by two shots. Custom San Jose Sharks Jerseys . Or maybe he already did. Clark hit his first homer, Wily Peralta pitched into the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 Wednesday night. http://www.officialsharksnhlshop.com/ . - Even with a new coach, the Denver Nuggets still love to push the basketball. Joe Pavelski Jersey . -- The Oakland Raiders expect to have starting right tackle Tony Pashos back for Sundays game against the Houston Texans. Logan Couture Jersey . The 27th-ranked Austrian underwent surgery on a torn tendon in October and needs more time to recover, the Austria Press Agency reports on Saturday. TAMPA, Fla. -- Joe Girardi found out about Derek Jeters retirement announcement the same way almost everyone else did: when the New York Yankees captain posted a letter to the world on his Facebook page this week. Girardi left snowy New York on Friday and arrived at spring training for his seventh year as Yankees manager, and he spent the first eight minutes of his 20-minute opening news conference discussing Jeters decision to retire after this season. "I think we were probably all a little bit taken aback by it," Girardi said. "Youre never sure how someones going to do it, but I had no inkling that thats what he was thinking." After missing the playoffs for just the second time in 19 years, the Yankees were back in business when pitchers and catchers reported ahead of Saturdays opening workout. Alex Rodriguezs locker was empty following his season-long suspension. Masahiro Tanaka inherited Mariano Riveras locker and Shawn Kelley got Andy Pettittes stall. Scott Sizemore, attending camp on a minor league contract, was assigned Robinson Canos jersey No. 24. Position players report next Wednesday, when Jeter holds a news conference at Steinbrenner Field to explain his decision. Girardi has exchanged texts with the 39-year-old shortstop but has not spoken with him. "This is going to be a guy thats hard to replace in your clubhouse and on your club," he said. "Its the nature of the business where people age and they move on and they go and do different things in their life, and in our life its a little bit quicker than some of the other working people of this world." Jeter was limited to 17 games last year after fracturing his left ankle in the 2012 playoffs and breaking it again last spring during his rehabilitation. Girardi said Jeter always told him "I feel great," but that he could sense frustration. After working out Friday with Brian Roberts at the Yankees minor league complex, Jeter demurred discussing his decision. "It makes no sense to do it here and then do it again over there, so Ill do it all over there one time," he said. And so now Jeter will go on a valedictory tour, much like Mariano Rivera did last year. JJeter is not the type to call attention to himself, making his public announcement before spring training all the more surprising.dddddddddddd "It could have been just watching how Mo did it, and how much fun everyone seemed to have with it with Mo," Girardi said. "He might have said, you know, its a pretty good way to go out." Jeter has won five World Series titles with the Yankees but none since 2009, and his final lap of the major leagues figures to set the theme as New York tries for title No. 28. His teammates looked forward to speaking with him after he reports. "Not really surprised, saddened I guess that hes not going to be around," ace pitcher CC Sabathia said. "You want a guy like that to play forever." Having witnessed Chipper Jones final season with the Atlanta Braves in 2012, new Yankees catcher Brian McCann is looking forward to Jeters last go-round. "Hes been the face of baseball since he broke in," McCann said. "I went through it with one Hall of Famer. Im going to go through it with another." David Robertson, inheriting the closers role from Rivera, hadnt thought Jeter would make his plans known before the seasons end. "But Im really glad he did," he said. "I think its going to give the fans a chance to come out this year and see him in his final season in pinstripes." Robertsons new job is one of many changes for the Yankees, who spent $471 million on free agents, including a $20 million payment to Tanakas old club in Japan. McCann and outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran are among the many newcomers, and first baseman Mark Teixeira is returning from a wrist injury that sidelined him most of last season. Cano -- the Yankees top hitter -- left for a $240 million, 10-year deal with Seattle. Girardi predicted for the April 1 opener at Houston that Yankees players at every position other than pitcher will be different from opening day last year. The only time thats happened in franchise history was 1947, according to STATS. "I think it is probably the biggest transition Ive been through," Girardi said. "I need to learn a lot of new faces fairly quickly." ' ' '