(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 Jay Beagle Jersey . This is Lowry’s third time winning the award in his career. He won the award last season and as a member of the Houston Rockets in 2011. Tom Wilson Jersey . The actual winners on transfer deadline day are those clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City who were well prepared and managed to get their main incoming business done well ahead of the transfer window closing. Tottenham were able to add seven players by spending over 100 million pounds and also ensured maximum return for the Gareth Bale transfer to Real Madrid by managing the move superbly. http://www.jerseyhockeycapitalsstore.co ... rsey-sale/. The 23-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., defeated Germanys Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday in the fourth round of the Sony Open in just 89 minutes. Philipp Grubauer Jersey . Both sides came closest to scoring in the first half, when Roma had a goal from Mattia Destro waved off for offside and Inters Rodrigo Palacio headed high. "A draw was a fair result. Neither squad had many chances," Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic said. Lucas Johansen Jersey . Fabio Fognini pulled off a surprise 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray to level the best-of-five quarterfinal at 2-2 before Andreas Seppi defeated James Ward 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive match.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Major League Soccer is prepared to start its season this weekend even if there isnt a labour deal with its referees and other on-field officials. The Professional Soccer Referee Association was certified by the National Labor Relations Board last May to represent referees, assistant referees and fourth officials working MLS games. It has not reached an agreement with the Professional Referee Organization, which was created by the U.S. Soccer Federation and MLS in 2012 to manage game officials in U.S. and Canadian professional leagues. The PSRA has filed a pair of unfair labour practice charges with the NLRBs New York office, accusing the PRO of bad-faith bargaining and making threats against PSRA members. PSRA members voted 64-1 last month to authorize an unfair labour practice strike. "We will be opening up this weekend with referees, and we are absolutely in a position to have a contingency plan in the event that those discussions dont end positively," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday. "We have so many things that were gearing up for with our 2014 season. Nothing is going to stop us from having a strong opening and to continue to grow this league." PSRA chairman Steve Taylor said there are economic and non-economic issues. "They have not made significant movement," he said of the PRO. Answering questions from reporters and fans during a season kickoff session, Garber said increasing the leagues television ratings is a priority. Viewers for national television broadcasts during the regular season dropped from an average of 180,000 viewers in 2012 to 170,000 last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. MLS has been negotiating with ESPN and Fox to replace deals with ESPN and NBC that expire at the end of this season. Garber said while quality of play, attendance, soccer-specific stadiums have increased, "our national television ratings have not grown at the same level." "So we need to figure out why thats happening. OObviously, theres a lot more competition than there ever was.dddddddddddd. Viewers have more alternatives. We need not to fight that but accept it and address it," he said. "Our games have been scheduled all over the week. Its been difficult even if you work in the league office to know what time and what day a game is taking place. So our new agreements will be very, very, very focused in terms of a specific date and time." Garber said progress has slowed on obtaining a new stadium for New York City FC, which joins the league along with Orlando, Fla., in 2015 as MLS expands to 21 teams. "Its tough to get stadium projects done in New York City, perhaps even a little more difficult now than it was maybe six months or a year ago," he said. MLS said in July it plans to reach 24 teams by 2020, and a Miami team has been awarded to former Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham, with no year identified for it to start play. Garber briefly discussed the expansion possibilities of several cities: Atlanta: "Were getting close. There are ongoing discussions. Theres not a rush to finalize something there. ... That time is probably sooner as opposed to later." Austin, Texas, and San Antonio: "Its premature for both markets. ... Expanding in Texas is something thats likely going to happen. Where that happens, when that happens is still to be seen." Cleveland: "There havent been any discussions of late. What I would say to folks that are living in Cincinnati, the folks that are living in Dayton, folks that are living Cleveland, support the Crew," a reference to the Columbus team. Detroit: "There havent been any discussions. Not sure its on the short list, but you never know." Minneapolis: "On the short list. Lots of interest there." North Carolina: "It is a hotbed for soccer. ... Well monitor it. ... Im not sure Carolina is coming any time soon." He also mentioned Sacramento as an expansion possibility. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '