Quick Preview: Raiders at Dolphins
The Raiders remain hard to predict this season, that suggesting they should walk away with a victory against the Dolphins isn’t exactly a sure bet. The Dolphins are like fool’s gold though, winning in very unconventional ways before last week, where they were destroyed by the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens exposed what this Dolphins team really is, a complete mess. They have talent, but even their head coach called them out for things that every NFL player should do, like knowing the playbook. Though, that isn’t to say that the Dolphins aren’t devoid of skill and could pull out a win. However, this game will come down to which team operates as such and which one can’t get on the same page with each other. Let’s take a look at some key positions that will determine the outcome of this game.
First, one that sparks interest is an obvious one, the quarterback. Jay Cutler is an obvious upgrade over Matt Moore and any controversy was put to bed against the Ravens. Adam Gase said earlier this week that if Cutler is healthy, he is the starting quarterback. Cutler develops tunnel vision with his receivers, and this year is no different. His favorites have been DeVante Parker and Jarvis Landry. Parker is the deep threat that could do serious damage against the Raiders weak secondary while Landry will pose matchup problems against the Raiders who have trouble covering receivers over the middle of the field. Those two should be the main focus for the Raiders defense in the passing game.
The Raiders the past few years have been known to let the opposing running backs run wild against them. This year is slightly better but they still have room for a lot of improvement. According to NFL.com, the Raiders rank 19th in rushing defense, allowing 113.9 ypg and 3.9 ypc on average. This means that Damien Williams, Kenyan Drake and the Dolphins anemic running game might actually find some footing. Although unlikely, as Williams hasn’t found the end zone yet this year and is averaging a paltry 2.7 ypc so far. If the Raiders defense falters though, Williams has the talent to move the chains at any time. Williams and Drake will see increased touches with starter Jay Ajayi shipped to the Eagles for a fourth-round pick.
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders offense will have their work cut out for them on offense against a Dolphins defense that ranks 10th overall in the league right now. The defense is anchored by their dominant defensive line which is anchored by Ndaumakong Suh. The Raiders running game has been lackluster this year, to say the least and has just barely begun to show signs of life after being dormant earlier this season. The key to this game will be if the Raiders defense can cause three and outs early and often. The longer the Raiders offense is on the field the Dolphins defense will wear down and make mistakes.
Again, the Dolphins shouldn’t be written off as a guaranteed W for the Raiders. If the run defense doesn’t show up, or the pass-rush falters, Jay Ajayi and Jay Cutler will make them pay. Not to mention, Adam Gase is well versed in playing against the Raiders, coming from the Denver Broncos. Hopefully, the Raiders will play mistake-free football, and the Dolphins will play like they did against the Ravens. If that is the case, the Raiders should come out with the win this Sunday.
