Oakland Raiders: Keys to beating the Miami Dolphins in week three matchup

Play All Four Quarters – With Desperation

It seems ridiculous to say that this week three matchup is critical. But, it kind of is. Actually, it really is. The Raiders are at a very tenuous point in their season, and can’t afford another loss. They cannot afford to fall into an 0-3 hole.

Which means, they need to come out and play like their hair is on fire from the opening snap, to the final whistle. And – they really need to play all four quarters.

It’s stunning to think that they held second half leads against both the Rams and the Broncos. Against the Broncos, they had the lead until the final seconds of the game. And yet, instead of being 2-0, or at worst, 1-1, the Raiders are winless.

And that’s because this team has been a less fun version of Jekyll and Hyde.

In the first half, they have looked tough. Stout. In command. In the first half of both games, they controlled the clock, and dictated the pace of the game to the Rams, and then to the Broncos.

And yet, after the halftime break, something happened, and while the other team flipped a switch, the Raiders did not. The Rams and the Broncos made adjustments at the break, that it seemed like the Raiders were either, not ready for, or just simply, couldn’t keep up with.

That’s on Gruden and his staff. They need to do a better job of planning out all four quarters, and getting their team to play – all four quarters. Football is a sixty, not a thirty minute game, after all.

If the Raiders are going to get themselves back on track, they will need to play with the desperation of a team fighting for a playoff berth in the last weeks of the season. They need to play for their lives. And they need to do it for a full sixty minutes.