NFL Miami DolphinsOakland Raiders

Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders: Predicting the Final Score

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By @Kevin_Saito

 

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On paper, it’s not the most attractive matchup – a 1-2 Miami Dolphins team squaring off against an 0-3 Oakland Raiders squad. With two teams struggling mightily at the start of the season, it certainly doesn’t appear to be the sexiest game ever to showcase across the pond. It’s a matchup that has some alternately laughing or apologizing to the British for inflicting what some view as an inferior version of NFL football upon them.

Both teams have a plethora of issues, there is no doubt. Miami is coming off a 19-point loss to the previously winless Kansas City Chiefs, and then suffered through a week where the winds of a quarterback controversy were swirling as HC Joe Philbin and QB Ryan Tannehill exchanged in a brief skirmish over who would be under center for the Dolphins on Sunday. It’s Tannehill if you hadn’t heard – not that Philbin actually gave him a ringing endorsement.

But aside from the head coach/QB drama, the Dolphins have plenty of other concerns. Following their stirring opening week win over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, the Dolphins defense has made a bad habit of giving up big plays. Miami has given up more than 300 yards of offense to both the Buffalo Bills and the Chiefs in the last two games. They’ve also given up 73 points in those two games, while the offense has only managed to put 25 points on the board. Lamar Miller has been a more than adequate replacement for the injured Knowshon Moreno, but aside from him, the Dolphins have failed to generate any offensive consistency – or points.

On the other sideline, the Raiders are having just as many issues. Their ground attack, thought to be a strength for the team, has lacked any sort of teeth, averaging under 70 yards per game. The passing game hasn’t been much better. Rookie QB Derek Carr is completing 63 percent of his passes, but is averaging less than 200 yards through the air per game, and two of his three touchdown passes this season, have come in garbage time. On the other side of that coin though, two of his three interceptions came on passes his receiver should have caught, but somehow managed to deflect into the hands of a waiting defender , such as Denarius Moore’s botched play last weekend that cost Oakland the game.

Defensively, the Raiders have been a mess. They’ve been getting absolutely blown up by second-rate quarterbacks like Geno Smith of the New York Jets, and Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Houston Texans. Opposing running backs have been able to run wild on the Raiders, who gave up 400 yards on the ground through the first two games of the season. Anything the opposing offense has wanted to do, they’ve done, and Oakland hasn’t been able to stop it from happening.

That being said, coming into the game in London, the Raiders appear to have some confidence, and perhaps a modicum of momentum on their side. They played well against the Patriots, and while it wasn’t good enough to win, it was a noticeable improvement. They held the Patriots to less than 80 yards on the ground, and stood toe to toe with them, only losing the game on Moore’s late botched reception that turned into a Vince Wilfork interception. Defensively, the Raiders looked spirited for the first time this season in taking it to New England, and managed to put a ton of pressure on Brady. Offensively, the Raiders should get a boost from the return of RB Maurice Jones-Drew, who should help ease some of the burden on Darren McFadden.

While the Raiders seemed to have taken a big step forward with their effort against New England, the Dolphins appear to have taken a major step backward. Quarterback play is going to be a crucial element to this game, and Tannehill seems to be regressing, while Carr seems to be growing and improving week to week. If the Oakland defense plays as aggressively and well as it did against New England, it will be a long day for Tannehill and the Dolphins.

Final Score: Raiders 34 Dolphins 17

 

Kevin Saito is a fiction writer, sports junkie, history nerd, and NFL contributor to www.RantSports.com Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, or on Google

 

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