Showdown Set!

The Miami Dolphins needed all 60 minutes to beat the Oakland Raiders and a very late final drive to set up the game winning FG with 38 seconds left in the game to move into a tie for 2nd place in the AFC East. The win sets the stage for a Miami vs. New England rematch next Sunday.

In what can only be described as an exceptionally ugly win vs. the 2-7 Raiders has left the Dolphins faithful wondering if the team that has shown up the last two weeks will be good enough to take on the Patriots who are coming off a loss of their own.

Chad Pennington took the Dolphins from inside their own 20 with just under 2 minutes left down to the Raiders 20 to set up the Dan Carpenter 38 yard field goal. Carpenter nailed his first clutch kick as a rookie kicker putting the Phins back in front after a 97 yard punt return by the Raiders set up their only lead of the game.

The Raiders took the ball over with 38 seconds left on the clock when Joey Porter got his first sack of the day, the Dolphins 6th. The final pass was a 20 yard completion in the middle of the field that ticked off the final 6 seconds of the game.

The Dolphins are one game behind the division leading NY Jets, but a half game up on the Patriots who they beat in week 3. While the NFL will not recognize tie-breakers until the end of the season, the Dolphins win in week 3 has placed them in a situation to take the season series and outright 2nd place position with 6 games remaining.

The Dolphins win also puts them in contention for a WildCard playoff spot with the Ravens and Colts. The Ravens lost today and the Colts won. For the first time since 2005, the Dolphins find themselves at 6-4, 5 games better than their season record of last year. A testament to the change of attitude and discipline.

The sore spot for the Phins…again today, is the play of their special teams unit which is plagued by poor play and penalties. Two holding penalties on kick-off returns put the Phins back deep in their own territory to start series. Long returns by the Raiders put the Dolphins defense on their heels, and the blown punt coverage almost lost the team the game.

With the Patriots on the radar now, there will be no issues with looking ahead to the following week. The Dolphins won a dangerous game against the Raiders and escaped a trap. Next week? There will be no trap. The Phins must find a way to play above and beyond anything they have done all year.  For now, the Dolphins and their fans can relish a much needed victory…they just can’t do it for long!

6-4…who would have thought!