Oakland Raiders v. Miami Dolphins: Live game day open thread
By Kevin Saito
The Oakland Raiders are on the east coast today to square off against the Miami Dolphins in a critical game – come talk all things Raiders football here.
You hate to put too much importance on one early season game, but for the Oakland Raiders, this absolutely feels like a gotta-have, must win game. After all, it’s easier to dig yourself out of a 1-2 hole, than an 0-3 hole, isn’t it?
However, there is literally nobody outside the Raider Nation who think Oakland can win this game. Pundits, oddsmakers, your next door neighbor – and their dog – are all taking Miami to take the game, moving to 3-0, while putting the Raiders in a hole they might not be able to crawl out of.
But, one has to ask – is Miami as good as their record indicates? And conversely, are the Raiders as bad as their record indicates?
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Based on the early season matchups, you’d have to believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Miami played a Titans team that was without Marcus Mariota for much of the game, and then moved on to play the Jets, who – well – are the Jets.
Oakland played much tougher opponents in weeks one and two, actually leading the Rams and Broncos into the second half – before completely imploding and choking both games away.
It doesn’t change the fact though, that the Raiders played well in the first half of both games, and very well could be sitting at 2-0 themselves, if they’d only made the proper adjustments – and reacted better to the adjustments made against them.
But, facts are facts, and the fact is, Miami is 2-0, and the Raiders are winless.
Which brings us to today. It will be a solid test for both teams to see where they actually stand. Is Miami nothing more than smoke and mirrors? Are the Raiders actually a three-alarm dumpster fire?
For the Raiders, they’ll be going without P.J. Hall for the second consecutive week, after he was injured during the Rams game. Cornerback Nick Nelson is questionable, and will be a gametime decision. They have some other guys dinged up, but nothing too major, and should be at full strength come kickoff.
Miami will be making a game-time decision on safety Reshad Jones. He was limited all week after sustaining a shoulder injury against the Jets – but, he did not miss a snap in the game. Smart money says that Jones will be on the field at kickoff.
The weather won’t be nearly as horrendous as it was in Denver last weekend, but it will still be in the 80’s and muggy, so Oakland is going to need to monitor their fatigue levels – and give the defense plenty of time on the sidelines to catch a breather.
We summed up a few keys to a Raiders victory that you can read about here, but we’d love to hear from you. In your estimation, what are the biggest storylines heading into this game? Which players bear watching, and which might have a big day?
Next. A Few Keys To A Victory Over The Miami Dolphins. dark
And of course — most importantly — who wins this game, and by how much? Time to step up and call your shot.
This is your open thread for the Raiders and Miami game. A place where you can talk all things Raiders football. We might even allow Miami fans to come in here and speak their minds as well. This is your virtual soapbox to talk about the game with other passionate fans.
So step on up, and speak out!