Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott, former Raven: 'This is going to be a heavyweight fight.'
MIAMI GARDENS — Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott was a member of the Ravens from 2018 to 2021.
He was actually in the same draft class as Lamar Jackson and Zach Sieler, another Baltimore draft pick who has blossomed in Miami.
“It’s a version of a homecoming," Elliott said of Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Elliott knows all about Baltimore's defensive reputation as a physical, aggressive, hard-hitting, black-and-blue, bloody-your-mouth unit.
Well, Elliott can be a big hitter himself.
How does he describe the identity of Miami's offense?
"This is going to be a heavyweight fight," Elliott said. "That’s all I’ve got to say.”
The Ravens are No. 1 in the NFL in scoring defense.
The Dolphins are No. 4 in the NFL in total defense.
Ravens' Lamar Jackson is an MVP candidate
For Miami, slowing Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson, a former standout at Boynton Beach High School, is an obvious key.
"Just put on the tape," Elliott said. "It’s not going to change. He’s been the same since he was in high school. He was a baller in high school. There isn’t nothing you can really take away from (being a teammate). You've just got to do your job, play your keys and ball. That’s all you can really do.”
How has Elliott seen Jackson grow since their rookie season in 2018?
"Now I think he takes care of his body a lot more, eating right, working out the way he should," Elliott said. "He’s always been a natural leader, but I think he’s taken on the role of a leader. He’s an MVP player. He’s fantastic. Back in the day, we would say, ‘Lamarvelous.‘ He’s great, and all you can do is try to contain him. There’s no stopping Lamar Jackon, but you can try to contain him as much as you can.”
Eliott made an incredible play in Miami's defeat of Dallas last Sunday. He dragged down running back Tony Pollard at the Dolphins' 1-yard line when it appeared that would be impossible.
"Honestly bro, I’m just playing ball," Elliott said. "I was going for the ball. I was trying to take the ball away. I was ripping for the ball and ended up ripping his arm and my momentum brought him back. Instantly, I knew he wasn’t in. He thought he was in, but I knew he wasn’t in. It was a smart play, hustle play, and we preach that every day. So that’s nothing new.”
Jevon Holland seems on track for Dolphins
It appears there is a good chance Elliott will get his starting safety partner, Jevon Holland, back from injured knees this week.
"He’s ‘8-ball,’ ‘Snowman,’" Elliott said. "He makes a lot of plays. To have a guy like that back on the field would be amazing for us as a defense. I think we played pretty well with him not being back, but I think him coming back would just help our level of play. We need him for this long stretch, end of season, playoffs. We need our captain; we need one of our leaders back.”
Don't believe the lazy narratives. Dolphins plenty tough enough to win at Baltimore. | Schad
Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.
Sunday's game
Dolphins (11-4) at Ravens (12-3)
1 p.m., CBS; streaming on Paramount+, NFL+ and YouTube Sunday Ticket outside South Florida
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lamar Jackson and DeShon Elliott were once in the same Ravens draft class
