Phin Phanatic
FanSided

The Miami Dolphins’ keys to victory against the Raiders

By George Forder

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 26: Arden Key #99 of the Las Vegas Raiders is penalized for a face mask against Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter of a game at Allegiant Stadium on December 26, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 26: Arden Key #99 of the Las Vegas Raiders is penalized for a face mask against Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter of a game at Allegiant Stadium on December 26, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 4
Next

The Miami Dolphins‘ performance against the Buffalo Bills stings, there’s no other way to put it. For the fans, players, coaches, and front office, this is going to be one that we all want to forget. Luckily, this is the NFL and the Miami Dolphins already have an opportunity to redeem themselves this Sunday in Las Vegas.

Before we break down this contest against the Raiders, let’s take a look at our keys to victory from the Buffalo massacre.

1. Slow down Buffalo’s passing attack

This was the one thing that we can confidently say the Miami Dolphins did. They slowed down the Buffalo Bills passing attack last Sunday. Josh Allen’s final line? 17/33 179 yards 2 touchdowns and one interception. Had someone told me those were going to be his statistics prior to the game, I would have thought it was a close game. The secondary played lights out for most the day and continue to be the strength of this team.

2. Dominate the Buffalo Bill’s offensive line

The Dolphins had a good game against this offensive line. They managed to sack Josh Allen and pressure him 14 times. That pressure rate (38.9%) was good for ninth in the NFL last week. Some of those pressures were the product of Josh Allen holding onto the ball because of solid coverage on the back end. One thing that surprised me was how little Jaelan Phillips was allowed to rush the passer. You just drafted this guy #18 overall to rush the passer… let him do what you brought him here to do.

3. Score 30 or more points

I don’t know that this one even needs an explanation, but no the Miami Dolphins did no score 30 or more points against the Bills. By the end of the fourth quarter, I would have accepted just 7 points. To put it simply, the offense was abysmal. Some of that is because of Tua going out in the first quarter, but it didn’t look promising before that either. The protection, play-calling, and execution were all a complete mess. You want some silver lining? It can’t get worse than that.

Ok, I got all the sarcasm and anger out of my typing fingers, we can move on. A lot of media outlets and even Dolphins fans are picking this to be a blowout-a 2, 3, or even 4 score loss for the Miami Dolphins. I wouldn’t accept that bleak fate just yet Dolphins fans.

How many outlets had the Raiders ranked ahead of the Dolphins before the season started? We’re talking about a two game sample size and all the sudden they’re the kings of the AFC and Miami is a dumpster fire? Good teams can look bad for two weeks and mediocre teams can look unstoppable for two weeks.

I’m not guaranteeing a Miami Dolphins victory or saying the Raiders aren’t for real, I’m saying there is still a world where the Dolphins can win this Sunday. Let me tell you how….

Home/Dolphins News