Raiders look to continue momentum against Dolphins, who are tough to beat at home

2023-11-17 03:58

The Las Vegas Raiders will carry a two-game winning streak to Miami when they face the Dolphins, who have rarely lost at home in the past two years

LAS VEGAS (5-5) at MIAMI (6-3)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS

OPENING LINE: Dolphins by 12 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Raiders: 5-5; Dolphins: 6-3.

SERIES RECORD: Raiders lead 21-19-1 (including postseason).

LAST MEETING: Raiders beat Dolphins 31-28 on Sep. 26, 2021, in Las Vegas.

LAST WEEK: Raiders beat the New York Jets 16-12 on Sunday night; Dolphins were on a bye.

RAIDERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (31), RUSH (30), PASS (23), SCORING (27).

RAIDERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (29), PASS (8), SCORING (13).

DOLPHINS OFFENSE: OVERALL (1), RUSH (T-2), PASS (1), SCORING (1).

DOLPHINS DEFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (13), PASS (13), SCORING (26).

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Raiders minus-7; Dolphins minus-4.

RAIDERS PLAYER TO WATCH: CB Nate Hobbs. He is coming off a strong game against the Jets and is ranked by Pro Football Focus as the league’s 12th-best cornerback out of 113. Hobbs will have a tall task in trying to defend Dolphins receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. It won’t be a solo effort at least, but how Hobbs plays will help determine whether Las Vegas can disrupt Miami’s outstanding passing attack.

DOLPHINS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Raheem Mostert. He leads the league with 11 rushing touchdowns, a career high, and his 13 total touchdowns are tied with San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey for the most in the NFL. Mostert's 5.41 yards per carry are the best in the Super Bowl era among running backs with at least 500 attempts. He'll be going against a Raiders defense that struggles against the run. Las Vegas has allowed teams to rush for 100 yards in each of its past four games.

KEY MATCHUP: The Raiders defense vs. Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, who has yet to have consecutive sub-100-yard receiving games all season. Hill is coming off a 62-yard outing against his former team, Kansas City, in Week 9, and he didn't reach the end zone for the first time in four games. Hill still leads the NFL in yards (1,076), receiving touchdowns (eight), and plays of at least 40 yards (seven) as defenses simply haven't found a way to contain him downfield.

KEY INJURIES: Raiders LT Kolton Miller remains out with a shoulder injury. He didn’t play against the Jets and did not practice Wednesday. … CB Amik Robertson (concussion) and G Dylan Parham (calf) did not practice Wednesday. Robertson was injured against the Jets. ... Dolphins RB De'Von Achane could return after missing the past four games with a knee injury. He practiced for the second straight day Wednesday. ... Miami activated WR River Cracraft from injured reserve Tuesday. ... Injured offensive linemen Rob Hunt (hamstring) and Rob Jones (knee) did not practice Wednesday and are considered week to week, according to coach Mike McDaniel.

SERIES NOTES: This is the 42nd meeting between the two teams. ... The Dolphins have won two of the past three matchups. ... Las Vegas has won three of four postseason meetings.

STATS AND STUFF: Raiders RB Josh Jacobs ended a 14-game drought without a 100-yard rushing game by gaining 116 against the Jets. … LB Robert Spillane is the first Raiders player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 with at least two sacks and three interceptions through the first 10 games of a season. He was the AFC defensive player of the week after totaling seven tackles, a sack and interception against New York. … A victory would make QB Aidan O’Connell the third Raiders quarterback to win three of his first four career starts. The others were Ken Stabler and Mike Rae. … RB Josh Jacobs is 36 yards from passing Marcus Allen for most rushing yards by a Raiders running back in his first five seasons. Allen gained 5,397 yards. … DE Maxx Crosby is three sacks shy of 50 for his career. Only four other players in team history have reached that mark. … Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham served in the same role for Miami in 2019, and interim offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree was the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach in 2016-18. … The Raiders with P AJ Cole easily lead the league in net punting average at 47.1 yards. The Dallas Cowboys are closest at 44.8. ... The Dolphins, who haven't won the division since 2008, currently have a 1 1/2-game cushion over the Buffalo Bills (5-5) for the AFC East lead. ... Miami is one of three NFL teams (Philadelphia, Dallas) with no home losses this season. Miami's .889 winning percentage in its past 18 homes games — going back to Nov. 7, 2021 — is tied with Kansas City for the best in the league during that span. ... Miami leads the NFL in points scored (285) and total yards (3,918). ... Tyreek Hill has topped 150 yards receiving in four of nine games this season. He has 12 100-yard games since joining the Dolphins, which is tied for the fourth most for a player in the team's history. ... Miami's defense has seen huge improvement in the past few weeks, highlighted by a performance against Kansas City in which the Dolphins held the Chiefs to just 267 total yards and 174 passing yards, their fewest in a regular-season game since Nov. 7, 2021, against Green Bay. They also held the Chiefs scoreless in the second half and limited two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes to his lowest regular-season passing total (185) since Dec. 5, 2021, against Denver.

FANTASY TIP: The Raiders have held each of their previous two opponents to 12 points or fewer, but it's hard to believe that they'll be able to slow down Tagovailoa, Hill, Mostert and Waddle, especially at home. The Raiders are also suspect against the run, so even if they find a way to contain Miami's deep threats, it could be another big game for Mostert.

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