Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson makes a living with both his legs and arms. One of the most dangerous runners in the game, it really frustrated him to miss three-plus games with a hamstring injury. That was a first for him.

But he was back in the lineup on Thursday night, and the Ravens looked like a completely different team. With their All-Pro quarterback in the lineup and their now-healthier defense back to its dominating ways, the Ravens beat the Miami Dolphins 28-6 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Jackson was 18-for-23 passing for 204 and four touchdowns. It was his first game since Sept. 28, and with the win — their second straight —  the Ravens are now 3-5 and right back in the picture in the AFC North race. They trail the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have lost two in a row themselves, by one game.

Things have changed a lot in less than two weeks. The Ravens were horrible in their 1-5 start, even with Jackson on the field. Their defense  was brutal, but it's been better now, too. Beating the Chicago Bears on Sunday and then the Dolphins on Thursday night has them right back in the division race.

“We had two games that we needed to win in four days, and they were absolute must-wins.” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the game. “And for our guys to step up the way they did, that's commendable.

"But all it just means now is that we’re two games under .500. That’s all it means. But we’re two games under .500, right? We were four games under .500.”

The oddsmakers think it will continue to get better for the Ravens, who are now actually the favorites — by a wide margin — to win the AFC North, according to Fanduel.com. They are minus-145 favorites, followed by the Steelers at plus-200, the Bengals at plus-650 and the Browns at plus-3500.

The schedule is certainly in their favor now, with the Ravens' next four games all against teams with losing records. Next up are the Minnesota Vikings (3-4) on the road on Nov. 9, followed by a game at Cleveland (3-5), the home against the New York Jets (1-7) and Bengals (2-6).

The Steelers would be next on Dec. 7, which might go a long way in determining the division crown.

Pittsburgh has lost two straight, letting their stranglehold on the division race slip away. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been through all of this before, and he's got a good message for his younger teammates, according to Steelers Roundtable writer John Perrotto.

Aaron Rodgers Says Slumping Steelers Must 'Stay The Course' The Steelers are 4-3 after losing their last two games, 35-25 to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday night and 33-31 to the Cincinnati Bengals 10 nights earlier. Though the Steelers still lead the AFC North, their grasp on the division lead is loosening.

The Steelers have a huge game on Sunday at home against the surprising 7-1 Indianapolis Colts, the team with the best record in the NFL.

Here is the Week 9 NFL schedule 

Sunday, Nov. 2 games

• Chicago Bears (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-4), 1 p.m. ET. TV: CBS.
• Minnesota Vikings (3-4) at Detroit Lions (5-2), 1 p.m. ET. TV: FOX
• Carolina Panthers (4-4) at Green Bay Packers (5-1-1), 1 p.m. ET. TV: FOX
• Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) at Tennessee Titans (1-7), 1 p.m. ET. TV: CBS
• Atlanta Falcons (3-4) at New England Patriots (6-2), 1 p.m. ET. TV: CBS
• San Francisco 49ers (5-3) at New York Giants (2-6), 1 p.m. ET. TV: CBS
• Indianapolis Colts (7-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3), 1 p.m. ET. TV: CBS
• Denver Broncos (6-2) at Houston Texans (3-4), 1 p.m. ET. TV: FOX
• Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-5), 4:05 p.m. ET. TV: FOX
• New Orleans Saints (1-7) at Los Angeles Rams (5-2), 4:05 p.m. ET. TV: FOX
• Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) at Buffalo Bills (5-2), 4:25 p.m. ET. TV: CBS
• Seattle Seahawks (5-2) at Washington Commanders (3-5), 8:20 p.m. ET. TV: NBC

Monday, Nov. 3 game

• Arizona Cardinals (2-5) at Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1), 8:15 p.m. ET. TV: ABC/ESPN

Thursday, Oct. 30 result

• Baltimore Ravens (3-5) defeated the Miami Dolphins (2-7) 28-6 in Miami Gardens, Fla.