Scooter & Hum: Day 1,711, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Raiders Game 10 Review

Despite winning key statistics like the turnover battle (1-0), penalties (four to seven), and time of possession (33:12 to 26:48) and not punting a single time, the 'Fins had a difficult time putting away the visiting Raiders. In a Tight End Game, Miami had no plan for Las Vegas rookie Brock Bowers (13 catches, 126 yards, one touchdown), but countered with a stellar performance from Jonnu Smith (six receptions, 101 yards, two scores).

The upshot is the win was the second in a row for the Dolphins, who face an uphill battle for playoff contention but do have the league's worst remaining schedule.

On to the so-you're-saying-there's-a-chance recap ...

Offense

Employing a methodical, ball-control attack, Miami fashioned four drives of double-digit plays and converted eight of 12 third-down tries and both fourth-down attempts. The 'Fins scored touchdowns on three of four red-zone trips and didn't commit a turnover. The concerning aspect was a second straight poor game on the ground, as the Dolphins managed just 82 rushing yards and 3.2 yards per carry.
Tua Tagovailoa connected on 28 of 36 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns without a pick, though this resulted in only a 66.0 grade from Pro Football Focus. Ball control remained an issue, as Tua had another sloppy fumble on one of the two sacks he took, but overall he masterfully conducted the Miami offense.
At running back, the 'Fins missed Alex Ingold again, cementing the fullback's importance to the franchise. De'Von Achane tallied 105 all-purpose yards and a touchdown on 21 touches in his 42 snaps, good for a 75.7 PFF mark. Jaylen Wright outsnapped Raheem Mostert (18 to 10), but managed just four yards on five carries and a two-yard catch for a 53.9 PFF grade. Mostert left briefly with a hip injury and ended up with three carries for a loss of two yards, and surprisingly, wasn't targeted once in the passing game. In his last three games, Wright has 25 yards on 16 rushes -- 1.6 yards per tote -- leading to legitimate questions about his usage over Mostert.
Tyreek Hill reeled in seven of eight targets for 61 yards and a touchdown -- with a number of third-down grabs and a fourth-down conversion -- in 52 snaps, earning a 76.6 PFF grade. Jaylen Waddle snared two of three targets for 37 yards and drew a pass interference late in the contest, picking up a 63.7 mark from PFF for his 53 snaps. Malik Washington caught all three targets for 11 yards and added a seven-yard run in his 27 snaps, with Odell Beckham grabbing two of four targets for 13 yards in his 16 snaps (62.3 PFF grade). River Cracraft was not targeted in his six snaps. While Hill's second touchdown in as many games was a good sign, the inability to get Waddle involved nor find more deep opportunities is troubling.
As noted above, Smith was stellar in his 55 snaps, hauling in six of eight targets for 101 yards and two touchdowns -- with one coming on a fourth-down play -- for a 73.2 mark from PFF. Both Julian Hill (two of three targets for 28 yards, 51.1 PFF grade in 38 snaps) and Durham Smythe (three-yard catch, 48.0 mark from PFF in 23 snaps) struggled in this one. Smith is quietly putting together a strong season (second on the squad in receptions and yards and tied for first in TD grabs), but Hill and Smythe have taken steps back, leading to some concerns about depth at the position.
Up front, the Dolphins faced a stiff Raiders front and had some predictable issues. Early on, right guard Liam Eichenberg took a punch from Las Vegas end Maxx Crosby, but somehow was not ejected, which seemed to set the tone for the game. Despite an inability to create holes on the ground, the line did a tremendous job on Crosby, who had no sacks, quarterback hits, or tackles for losses. Left guard Robert Jones (45.4 PFF grade) and center Aaron Brewer (47.5 mark from PFF, called for holding twice) had subpar performances, but steady left tackle Terron Armstead earned an 84.0 PFF grade. New right tackle Kendall Lamm -- filling in for Austin Jackson, who is out for the season -- had a few busted assignments, but gave all he had against Crosby and others. The unit gave up a pair of sacks, but Eichenberg and Brewer had some nice downhill blocks and the offensive line held its own in a tremendous offensive showing.

Defense

The Raiders punted just once and had their second-most yards of the season (328), converting eight of 14 third-down attempts and both fourth-down tries. Miami had zero answer for Bowers, but did a great job against the run -- holding Las Vegas to just 60 rushing yards and 3.8 yards per carry -- and held the visitors without a touchdown on two of three red-zone trips.
Both Calais Campbell (37 snaps, 63.3 PFF grade) and Zach Sieler (49 snaps, 68.0 mark from PFF) delivered sacks, with Campbell adding an assisted tackle and a solo stop and Sieler contributing four tackles, three solos, and two quarterback hits. Benito Jones delivered one of his strongest games, with an assisted tackle, consistent push, and a 70.6 PFF grade in his 32 snaps. Da'Shawn Hand (29 snaps) and Neil Farrell (nine snaps) were quiet in reserve.
On the edge, Chop Robinson earned an 86.4 mark from PFF on the strength of an assisted tackle and a number of uncalled holds drawn in his 28 snaps. Emmauel Obgah had a solo tackle, a stop for loss, a sack, and a quarterback hit in 41 snaps, but he jumped offsides and received a 41.6 PFF grade. Tyus Bowser had a solo tackle in 39 snaps, while Quintin Bell continues to impress in limited action, posting three solo tackles and a pass breakup in 17 snaps -- good for an 82.0 mark from PFF.
Anthony Walker paced the inside linebackers with 10 tackles and six solos in 64 snaps, picking up a 75.3 PFF grade. Jordyn Brooks had a dozen tackles, eight solos, and a stop for loss in 65 snaps, but his 59.9 mark from PFF reflected his struggles in trying to defend Bowers. With David Long waived during the week, Tyrel Dodson is the new backup at the spot, but he did not get a snap from scrimmage.
At cornerback, Jalen Ramsey led the way as usual, recording five solo tackles, two pass breakups, an interception, and a holding penalty in 65 snaps (65.5 mark from PFF). Playing on the boundary, Kader Kohou had a rough game, making five solo tackles but missing a number of others on his way to a 57.7 PFF grade. With Kendall Fuller out, Storm Duck saw extensive action, collecting four tackles and two solo stops in 36 snaps (67.4 mark from PFF). Cam Smith got eight snaps in deep reserve.
Both Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer played all 65 snaps at safety, and both bear responsibility for the absolute torching delivered by Bowers. Poyer had six tackles, one solo, and an egregious missed tackle on a Bowers touchdown that informed his 55.0 PFF grade. Holland had two solo tackles in another quiet performance, with Elijah Campbell getting a single snap in reserve.

Special teams

Jason Sanders was methodical yet again, connecting on both field-goal attempts (with a long of 46) and all four extra points while delivering deep kickoffs. As noted, Jake Bailey got the day off since Miami didn't have to punt at all.
Wright had a 29-yard kickoff return and Mostert added a 23-yarder, with Washington failing to gain a yard on his lone punt return.
Campbell somehow missed an easy punt block on a play that resulted in a running-into-the-punter penalty and an automatic first down for the visitors, and Bell was called for holding in the third phase. Bell, Duke Riley, and Siran Neal paced all Dolphins with 17 special-teams snaps, with Neal making a solo tackle.

Momentum plays

The Dolphins started fast -- and slow. Miami went 70 yards in 14 plays over more than eight minutes, using two key Las Vegas penalties along the way. Achane converted a 3rd & 7 with a 17-yard catch and run, and a punch by Crosby -- he somehow was not ejected -- tacked on 15 more. A 16-yarder to Hill kept things moving, but a Tua sack and fumble set up a 3rd & 20. A dump-down to Mostert gained only 12 yards, but a defensive holding call resulted in an automatic first down. Tua found Hill for six more on a 3rd & 3 play, then he hooked up with Smith for a one-yard touchdown on a 4th & goal play for a 7-0 lead on a possession that saw them convert three third downs and a fourth down.
Las Vegas countered with a lengthy drive of its own, aided in a big way by Campbell's penalty for running into the kicker. A 20-yard catch by former Wolfpacker Jakobi Meyers converted a 3rd & 1, and a Bowers 14-yard catch set up a first & goal opportunity. A Sieler sack helped force the Raiders to settle for a short field goal to make it 7-3.
Three straight Achane runs netted an initial first down, then a 4th & 2 pass to Beckham resulted in a crucial conversion. Tua found Waddle for 24 yards on a play outside the pocket, then the signal-caller hit Beckham again to convert yet another third down. After throwing too late for Hill on a pass that was broken up in the end zone, Tua took a sack on third and goal, leading to a 31-yard Sanders field goal and a 10-3 lead.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew found Bowers for 12 and 14 yards on back-to-back plays, then hooked up with Meyers for six and 11 yards, the latter converting a 3rd & 7. On a 3rd & 9 play, Bowers delivered a 10-yard catch, then Minshew ran for a first down on a 3rd & 6 play that featured an uncalled crackback block and saw the signal-caller initially marked short but then given the first down on a bad reversal challenge.
An Ogbah sack on 2nd & goal allowed the 'Fins helped hold Las Vegas out of the end zone, with another short field trimming the margin to 10-6.
The Dolphins got an initial first down, but a 15-yard pass to Smith allowed the clock to run out and send the teams to their halftime locker rooms.
The Raiders got the opening possession of the second half, but a Campbell sack and a near interception by Brooks (on a play that saw Robinson get held again without a call) helped force the only punt of the entire game. Bell's hold forced Miami to start the drive on its own three-yard line.
Tua's six-yard pass to Hill on 3rd & 4 got the 'Fins a vital initial first down in the shadow of its own goal posts. Two more first downs followed as Miami mixed short passes and runs, then Tua found Waddle for 13 and Julian Hill for 11 more. Then Achane broke a number of tackles en route to a 30-yard run, setting up a 3rd & goal touchdown toss to Hill after Tua escaped the pocket. The 97-yard drive staked the Dolphins to a 17-6 advantage.
Las Vegas struck back in a quicker fashion, powered by a 31-yard catch and run by Alexander Mattison. Three plays later, the visitors converted a 3rd & 9 when Bowers easily beat Poyer to the flat, slipped his tackle attempt, and scooted 23 yards down the sideline for a score. Sieler blew up the two-point attempt with a run stuff, keeping the score at 17-12.
Starting at its own 40-yard line thanks to a penalty for a kickoff landing short of the landing zone, Miami got going with an 18-yard pass to Hill on 3rd & 8 and a 13-yard pass to Smith on 3rd & 4. Then, Julian Hill -- who had been having a rough game -- came through with a 17-yard catch and run, setting up the 'Fins in a goal-to-go situation. Two plays later, Achane ran it in from two yards out, extending the lead to 24-12.
The Raiders countered yet again, using a series of short passes to keep the Dolphins off balance. The visitors converted a 4th & 3 on a seven-yard toss to Bowers, then connected on a 22-yard pass. On a 3rd & goal situation, Minshew was forced to dump the ball off to a running back, but Kohou made an awful tackle attempt that allowed third-stringer Ameer Abdullah to coast in from 10 yards out, making the score 24-19.
Under pressure to respond once more, the 'Fins got a third-down conversion when Waddle drew a pass interference flag. After the Raiders used their second timeout, Tua caught Las Vegas in a coverage bust, finding Smith late with no one in the vicinity. The tight end showed impressive speed in outracing pursuing defensive backs on his way to a 57-yard touchdown that essentially salted the game away at 31-19.
Miami got the game-breaking turnover it needed when Minshew threw behind Meyers on the first play of the next possession. Ramsey picked off the errant pass and returned it seven yards, giving the Dolphins the ball on the Raiders' 31-yard line with just 3:19 remaining.
Las Vegas stopped Miami in three plays, using a timeout and the two-minute warning. However, Sanders connected from 46 yards away to extend the advantage to 34-19.
Unable to stretch the field, the Raiders moved 46 yards in eight plays, but used up the remaining 1:55 without entering the red zone to end the contest.