The Dolphins had a great win on Monday Night Football against the Rams. It may have been sloppy in moments, but winning ugly is necessary in the NFL. They now enter two must-win games against weaker opponents before their toughest stretch of the season.
The Raiders had a shock victory in Baltimore in Week 2, but aside from that, their season has been forgettable. They aren't playing for much other than the opportunity to draft a quarterback in next year's draft. They'll be in the race for Shedeur Sanders, but things are tight at the bottom of the standings.
That said, it's still way too early to give up, and I expect the Raiders to show up and play hard. The Dolphins should not take any opponents lightly after the roller coaster of a season they've had. Will the Dolphins take care of business, or will the Raiders spoil the party?
Game Info
Date: Sunday, November 15th
Start Time: 1:00 PM EDT
Location: Miami Gardens, Florida
Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium
TV Info: CBS (Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker, Jay Feely on the call)
Dolphins uniform info: All White
Las Vegas Raiders 2024 Stats
Points Per Game: 18.7 (25th)
Points Allowed Per Game: 27.9 (30th)
Offensive Yards Per Game: 280.2 (29th)
Passing/Rushing Yards Per Game: 203.3 Yards Per Game (18th) and 76.9 Yards Per Game (32nd)
Defensive Yards Allowed Per Game: 325.0 (15th)
Passing/Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 195.1 Yards Per Game (11th) and 129.9 Yards Per Game (22nd)
Third Down Offensive/Defensive Conversion Rate: 33.62% (27th) and 38.60% (20th)
Red Zone Offensive/Defensive Conversion Rate: 59.09% (11th) and 64.71% (27th)
Penalties: 53 (23rd)
Penalty Yardage: 417 Yards (23rd)
Players Already Ruled Out Before Sunday
Dolphins: CB Kendall Fuller
Raiders: CB Nate Hobbs, C Andre James, G Cody Whitehair, TE Harrison Bryant
Las Vegas Raiders
Defense
There's no way to sugarcoat it: The Raiders' defense has been terrible this season. They've allowed 30 or more points four times in nine games, and the Bengals hung 41 on them before their bye week. It'll be a big ask to stop a Miami offense that has looked better since Tua returned.
The standout on the Raiders' defense is edge rusher Maxx Crosby. Crosby had a career-high 90 tackles and 14.5 sacks in 2023. He came into this season with the fourth shortest odds to win DPOY but has since fallen out of the race due to the Raiders' poor play.
That doesn't mean Crosby is having a bad season; he has 6.5 of the Raiders' 17 total sacks in the year. It'll be his job to get after Tua, especially after starting right tackle Austin Jackson was ruled out for the rest of the season. Terron Armstead is listed as questionable, which may only spell more joy for Crosby.
Offense
The Raiders offense has been uninspiring. They rank in the bottom quarter for points and total yards and have only scored more than 20 points in a game once. They've been unstable at quarterback; Gardner Minshew will start this game and has started for most of the season but has been benched at times for Aidan O'Connell.
O'Connell was placed on IR due to a thumb injury, so the Raiders signed Desmond Ridder off the Cardinals practice squad. Their receiving corp is limited after having traded Davante Adams, but Jakobi Meyers is a proven NFL receiver. However, the real star of the passing game is rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers has 18 receptions and 150 more yards than anyone on the team.
He's an elite receiving option and an excellent blocker, an increasingly rare combination in today's NFL. He'll be the biggest threat to the Dolphins' defense. The running game is almost nonexistent, as the Raiders rank dead last in rush yards per game. Alexander Mattison has taken over as the lead back after Zamir White's struggles early in the season.
Miami Dolphins
Defense
The defense played its heart out against the Rams on Monday. Holding that offense to 15 points and no touchdowns on the road is no easy task and should be commended. It's worth noting that the Dolphins waived linebacker David Long Jr., Who was the team's leading tackler in 2023 but struggled mightily in pass coverage.
The secondary will be without Kendall Fuller due to a concussion, but the good news is that Jalen Ramsey and Jevon Holland seem to be fully healthy for the first time all season. The defense had two takeaways on Monday, and they hope to continue that streak against Minshew, who has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns.
The defense's focus will be on stopping Bowers and getting after Minshew. He's been sacked 23 times in eight games this season. If the defense can play like it did on Monday, it shouldn't have much trouble.
Offense
This is the game that this offense has been waiting for. They are going up against a bottom-five defense while playing at home. The offense played outstanding games against Arizona and Buffalo before taking a step back against the Rams. This is a huge opportunity to put some points on the board.
Tyreek Hill needs wrist surgery but has said he will play through it. If the Dolphins were to lose any of the following two games, don't be surprised if Hill is shut down for the rest of the season. It's a situation to monitor, but for now, Hill is in. The Dolphins were able to get some of the receivers of the periphery, like Odell Beckham Jr. and Malik Washington, more involved against the Rams, and I suspect that will continue to be the case moving forward.
De'Von Achane saw 70% of snaps against the Rams in the backfield as Raheem Mostert's usage dropped. It may have been a punishment for his fumble against Buffalo, but the Dolphins may be looking at a future without Mostert, who is 32 (basically 42 in running back years). Achane is just as important to the receiving game as the running game. He led the team in first read target share in Week 10.
Betting Info
Points Spread: LV +7 (-110) | MIA -7 (-110)
Moneyline: LV (+275) | MIA (-340)
Over/Under: O 44.5 (-110) | U 44.5 (-110)
Lines via Fanduel as of Friday, November 15th
The Raiders are 4-5 ATS, and the Dolphins are 3-6 but have covered in their last two. The public is all over Miami, which is always a bit scary, but I think they'll make it three in a row and cover again. Dolphins -7 is my pick.
Prediction
The Dolphins have too much firepower and too much at stake to lose this game. The Raiders don't have enough on either side of the ball. They've managed to keep a few games close, but this should be a comfortable victory for Miami.
Final Score: Dolphins 31, Raiders 13
Main Image via
Comments