Special teams was a strength against the Raiders
DAVIE — The same Miami Dolphins many national pundits predicted would be the worst team in the NFL are still among the undefeated teams in the league.
As a result of Miami’s 3-0 start, the bandwagon is filling up, but Dolphins players and coaches don’t want new fans, or to be overwhelmed with praise for their early success.
The Dolphins pride themselves on being the underdog, and will look to continue their strong start in this Sunday’s AFC East showdown with the New England Patriots, which will be played in Foxborough, Mass., where the Dolphins haven’t won a game since 2008.
Here is the South Florida Sun Sentinel's report card, evaluating how the Dolphins performed in their victory over the Raiders.
Passing Game: B
Ryan Tannehill produced his 19th game with a 100-plus passer rating, and had the second-highest passer rating of his career (155.3) on Sunday against the Raiders, completing 17-of-23 passes for 289 yards and throwing three touchdowns. Tannehill threw one of the best passes of his career on a 34-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills, and he also gained 26 yards on three carries. After three games, Tannehill ranks fourth in the NFL in yards per attempt (9.28), fifth in completion percentage (73.0) and fourth in passer rating (121.8).
Running Game: D
The Raiders effectively contained Miami’s rushing attack, shutting down Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake the entire game. Miami’s tailback tandem contributed 15 yards on 11 carries, but Ryan Tannehill gained 26 yards on three scrambles, bringing the total to 41 rushing yards. However, it can be pointed out that Albert Wilson’s 74-yard touchdown could be viewed as a run based on the nature of the play, which started in the backfield. So far this season, the Dolphins are averaging 98.7 rushing yards a game and 4.0 per attempt.
Defending the pass: B+
Derek Carr became the second quarterback to throw for over 300 yards on the Dolphins in this young season, completing 27-of-39 passes for 345 yards and one touchdown. But Xavien Howard intercepted Carr twice, and Miami’s pass rush roughed him up most of the game, recording three sacks and plenty more hits. The Dolphins need to do a better job of playing zone coverage against opponent’s passing game, and covering the tight ends. However, it should be pointed out that opposing quarterbacks have a cumulative 65.6 passer rating against the Dolphins, which ranks Miami first in the NFL when it comes to defending the pass.
Defending the run: C
The Dolphins were on the verge of running out of defensive linemen because of the injuries William Hayes and Andre Branch suffered, and Akeem Spence’s ejection for hitting a Raiders player with a helmet. That left Miami’s defensive line undermanned for the second half of the game as Oakland wore Miami’s defense out on the ground, gaining 109 yards and scoring a touchdown on 32 carries.
Special teams: B+
The Dolphins won the field position battle for a second straight game because of crisp and efficient punts from Matt Haack, who put three of his six punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and only produced one touch back. The Raiders averaged 3.7 yards on three punt returns, and gained 39 yards on two kickoff returns. Jakeem Grant gained 105 yards on his four kickoff returns.
Coaching: B-
The Dolphins offense had 39 plays because of penalties, and Miami’s struggles on third down (2-of-8 converted), but the offense still managed to produce 373 yards and scored a seasonhigh 28 points because of the creative play-calling. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke got his zone coverage picked apart early in the game, but made successful adjustments that eventually contained the Raiders.
Stock up: Vincent Taylor
Taylor, the Dolphins’ 2017 sixth-round pick, has been one of the most improved players since training camp. He’s consistently gotten more playing time, and has responded well to having his role increased. Against the Raiders, Taylor contributed seven tackles and his first NFL sack.
Stock down: Minkah Fitzpatrick
The Dolphins first-round pick replaced Reshad Jones as the safety paired with T.J. McDonald and looked like a rookie early in the game, playing a step slow on a number of plays, including a few of Jordy Nelson’s big plays early in the game, which accounted for 139 yards and a touchdown on Oakland’s first two drives. Fitzpatrick and the secondary eventually settled in, spacing out the zone coverage better, but the damage was done. Fitzpatrick finished the game with a careerhigh 10 tackles, but was more impactful when he worked closer to the line of scrimmage as the nickel cornerback.