The Miami Dolphins will look to rebound from their dreadful loss against the Bills, as they will face the Raiders this Sunday in Las Vegas. The Dolphins come into this game as a four-point underdog which makes sense as the Dolphins really struggled last week. The Raiders have been surprising as they are off to a 2-0 start and will be looking to go 3-0 for the first time since 2002. They beat the Raven and Steelers, which are both one of the better teams in the league right now. The Dolphins have their work cut out for them against this tough Raiders team. This article will preview the Miami Dolphins game this week against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Offensive Line needs to step up
Last week against the Bills, the Dolphins offensive line gave up six sacks in a blowout loss. These sacks thwarted a lot of their drives last week and put them behind the chains. The Dolphins will not win if they end up doing the same thing this week. It was just announced that Tua Tagovailoa will be out this coming Sunday due to having fractured ribs, which came from him being sacked multiple times.
They have a less mobile quarterback in Jacoby Brissett as a backup who needs time in the pocket to be productive. Luckily for the Dolphins, Brissett has gotten a lot of playing time in the preseason and should be more than prepared to play.
The Dolphins need to establish the run
If Miami is going to win a game against a hot team then all aspects of their game need to be on point. The running game has been subpar for the Dolphins the first two weeks of the regular season. Myles Gaskin only got the ball 5 times in their loss to the Bills and 9 times the week before against the Patriots. The Dolphins can’t quit on the run. Yes, it’s been tough sledding but things will open up for the offense with more carries. The opposing defenses line will get tired throughout the game and it will open up the passing game. This is something Dolphins fans need to watch for this game against the Raiders.
The Offense need to be score Points
According to Pro Football Focus, the Dolphins rank 32nd in the league in points scored. This is unacceptable with all the weapons the Dolphins have. Jaylen Waddle and DeVante Parker have looked great receiving the ball. They both have a lot of speed and are excellent route runners. They are also explosive and can possibly score a touchdown any time they get the ball.
Mike Gesicki also needs to be better. He was a lot more productive against the Bills which is good news. He totaled for 41 yards last week. It would be great Gesicki score a touchdown or have a big day in the yardage department against the Raiders. This would really help the chances of the Dolphins winning this game. He was great in the preseason as he burned defenses with big yards and gave the Dolphins an opportunity to score.
The Dolphins Opponent: The Raiders
The Raiders feature Derek Carr at quarterback who has had a good season so far. He has totaled 817 yards and four touchdowns so far this season. He has also had one interception. Josh Jacobs is also another player to look out for. He has had over 1,000 yards in his first two seasons in the NFL. He is dealing with an injury though and did not practice Wednesday. Jacobs  is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Jon Gruden has done an excellent job with this Raiders team. If the Dolphins can’t get back on track, they will be in danger of starting the season 1-2. This concludes this Miami Dolphins game preview for this Sunday’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Featured photo courtesy of Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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