South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
DOLPHINS GAMEDAY
With Tua out, who will step up on offense?
Here’s a look at how the Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders match up in six key areas ahead of Sunday’s Week 3 game:
When the Dolphins run:
Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin is averaging over 5 yards per carry this season. However, he just hasn’t gotten the ball much. In Week 1 at New England, the Patriots dominated time of possession, limiting how often Miami could hand him the ball after its opening drive. In Week 2, the Dolphins were almost immediately in a two-touchdown hole and had to throw to try to come back against the Bills.
The Raiders had a tough time in run defense when they opened against the Baltimore Ravens but then were really good last week in the win over the Steelers. They held Pittsburgh rookie running back Najee Harris to 39 yards on 14 attempts.
Las Vegas has at middle linebacker former Miami Hurricanes standout Denzel Perryman, who has led the team with 22 tackles through two games. It also has 340-pound nose tackle Johnathan Hankins there to consume blockers. If the Dolphins come out with a balanced attack early and commit to the run game, they can find room to run, especially if they get behind right guard Robert Hunt. Edge: Even
When the Raiders run:
The Dolphins’ run defense is bad, especially without nose tackle Raekwon Davis in the middle of the line, but I don’t think it’s bad enough to let the Raiders run all over them. Las Vegas has been doing it through the air thus far in its 2-0 start. The Raiders averaged 2.1 yards per carry last week against the Steelers. In Week 1 against the Ravens, if you take away a 31-yard run they set up for backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who’s now on injured reserve, they would’ve been around 2.5 yards per attempt. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs’ status is in doubt this week, meaning it could be Kenyan Drake, an ex-Dolphin, and Peyton Barber carrying the ball for Vegas. Edge: Dolphins
When the Dolphins pass:
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out for this one, and it’s Jacoby Brissett’s show. Brissett is a capable backup with 32 games of NFL starting experience, but he’s coming off a game in which he did not produce any points against Buffalo, getting every snap after Tagovailoa went down to conclude the Dolphins’ second drive. It wasn’t all on him, though, as DeVante Parker dropped what would’ve been a touchdown, Albert Wilson had two other drops, Jakeem Grant fumbled and Jaylen Waddle muffed a punt — not to mention the offensive line play in front of him that resulted in four sacks on top of the two Tagovailoa took. The Dolphins offensive line will go up against a Raiders pass rush that collected five sacks over the first two weeks. Edge: Raiders
When the Raiders pass:
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is the NFL’s passing yards leader through two weeks with 817. The biggest playmaker the Dolphins will have to worry about is 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end Darren Waller. He will primarily be strong safety Eric Rowe’s responsibility. In the matchup last year, Waller caught five passes for 112 yards but was only targeted six times and kept out of the end zone. He had a whopping 19 targets in the “Monday Night Football” opener, where he came up with 10 receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. On the outside, the Dolphins will have to be ready for the speed of second-year wideout Henry Ruggs and Hunter Renfrow’s ability to get open underneath in the slot. Edge: Even
Special teams:
We know in Miami that Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders is automatic. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson is coming off a 4-for-4 fieldgoal game against the Steelers and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for it. Vegas punter A.J. Cole is fourth in the league in punting average (50.6), but his net drops all the way down to 39.8. It’s still better than Michael Palardy of the Dolphins, who has a 36.6 net average on his punts with a significantly lower per-punt average of 44.7. Edge: Raiders
Intangibles:
Allegiant Stadium will be nothing like what it was last December when the Dolphins came away with the miracle victory in an empty stadium. The new football dome in Las Vegas was rocking for the “Monday Night Football” opener in Week 1 and the venue’s debut with fans. It will be a tough environment to play in for a backup quarterback with a struggling and possibly shifting offensive line. Edge: Raiders