Busters
QB Aidan O’Connell
You knew the rookie game was coming at some point. This was certainly it. Both the first two drives ended with O’Connell throwing well short of the sticks on third down. The third drive featured his best pass of the day, dropping a dime to Davante Adams for a 46-yard touchdowns. He couldn’t find that magic the rest of the way.
The next series, he threw too high for Hunter Renfrow in the right flat and got Renfrow blasted behind the line.
Twice in the the first half, the Raiders offense got the ball already in scoring range, and O’Connell couldn’t capitalize. The second of tohse times ended with him throwing too high for Davante.
The first three possessions of the second half lasted a total of seven plays. The second possession was one play — an interception which O’Connell threw behind Tre Tucker where Jalen Ramsey was in his hip pocket to pick it. The third drive ended with another over throw for Davante.
They were down 20-13 entering the fourth quarter and got four chances to tie it up and couldn’t do it. The first chance, he threw incomplete to a well-covered Adams when Michael Mayer appeared to be open along the right sideline. The next one ended when, on fourth and three, O’Connell forced a deep pass for Meyers who was covered so well by Ramsey that the All Pro cornerback ran the route for him. That was a terrible decision to go there with the ball in the first place, let alone actually throw it when Meyers was never going to be open.
The third drive, he held the ball too long and was sacked, then went from being nearly intercepted on third and six to being actually intercepted on fourth down.
The game would end on the next drive with him, again, testing Jalen Ramsey on a deep ball and Ramsey again making him pay for it by picking it off in the end zone to end the game.
RT Thayer Munford, LT Jermaine Eluemunor
This team would very much like to get Kolton Miller back as soon as humanly possible. Because this combo is NOT working.
Pressure was coming from both sides much of the day courtesy of Munford and Eluemunor. It started on the second play of the game with Munford giving up a hit on O’Connell. The next drive, Eluemunor gave up a run stuff.
In the second quarter, with the Raiders nursing a 10-7 lead, they would go three-and-out with Elueumunor giving up the pressure on third down leading to an incompletion.
The next drive, now behind 14-10, Munford lost his block to give up a run stop and then gave up another one on second down. And Eluemunor finished it off when he was tossed to the turf to give up a run stuff for a three-and-out.
The Third quarter began with another three-and-out with Munford giving up a tackle for loss on third-and-one. Later in the third quarter, they would go three-and-out again with an overthrow on third down. But even if the pass had been on target — which would have led to a long gain by Davante — it would have come back on a holding penalty on Eluemunor.
The first possession of the fourth quarter ended with Munford giving up a sack. The third possession saw Munford give up a would-be sack but for O’Connell trying desperately to get the ball off as he was going down, leading to an interception. But really, it was a sack.
TE Michael Mayer
He made the first catch of the day for 17 yards. Good. Next play he was flagged for holding. Bad. Two plays later, on third down, he got the ball punched out on what was initially ruled a fumble returned for a touchdown but ultimately was just ruled incomplete. Also bad.
Next drive, he made a 12-yard catch on third-and-seven. Good. Next play he was flagged for offensive pass interference. Bad.
To start out the third quarter, he made a nine-yard catch. Good. Next play, on third-and-one, he lost his block on a run stop for a loss. Bad.
In the end, all the good was wiped away by the bad.
CB Marcus Peters, S Tre’von Moehrig
It’s kind of funny really that two of their defensive back teammates were Ballers actually. That’s how it goes sometimes.
The Dolphins’ first touchdown came by way of Tyreek Hill. Peters gave up the catch and Moehrig missed the tackle on the only real shot of stopping Hill from streaking for the score from 38 yards out.
After a Raiders score to re-take the lead, the Dolphins answered with another long drive. It started with Peters missing a tackle on a ten-yard run. Then on third-and-eight Moehrig gave up a 21-yard catch to put them at the Vegas 41. Next play he gave up a nine-yard catch. It was only some strong play from Nate Hobbs and some others that led to a turnover on downs.
They weren’t so fortunate on the next Dolphins possession. The first play saw Peters jogging after being blocked on an eight-yard screen. A couple plays later, Moehrig gave up a 15-yard catch to the Vegas 23-yard-line. That drive would end up in a touchdown on a pass to a wide open Salvon Ahmed from 11 yards out.
Early in the third quarter, the Dolphins again drove into scoring position. And the biggest play on the drive was Peters giving up a wide open 31-yard catch to Tyreek Hill that put the Dolphins at the Vegas 46-yard-line. They would end up missing a 50-yard field goal.
The next drive they didn’t miss the field goal and that would prove to be enough to take care of the Raiders.