Tag: raiders vs. dolphins

Raiders Week 11 snap counts: S Isaiah Pola-Mao career-high leads team in total snaps

S Isaiah Pola-Mao career-high leads Raiders in total snaps

In just about every game this season the Raiders have had to go with the ‘next man up’ at one of the defensive back spots. As of now, the only DBs on the team who have not missed any time are safety Tre’von Moehrig and cornerback Marcus Peters.

Up until Sunday in Miami, Marcus Epps was on that list. But he was lost in the first quarter with a neck injury. Coming in for him was Isaiah Pola-Mao.

The former undrafted free agent out of USC played the final three quarters on defense (77%) while also performing his usual special teams duties (88%). His combined 77 snaps was the most on the team.

It also set several career highs for Pola-Mao. It was the most defensive snaps (54) of his career, the most special teams snaps of his career (23), the most tackles of his career (7). He also recorded his first career interception.

Epps is a solid safety. But the Raiders no doubt feel pretty good having Pola-Mao as an option should Epps miss extended time.

Offense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Greg Van Roten G 61 100% 3 12%
Thayer Munford T 61 100% 3 12%
Jermaine Eluemunor T 61 100% 3 12%
Aidan O’Connell QB 61 100% 0 0%
Andre James C 61 100% 0 0%
Davante Adams WR 60 98% 0 0%
Dylan Parham G 58 95% 3 12%
Jakobi Meyers WR 50 82% 0 0%
Michael Mayer TE 49 80% 3 12%
Josh Jacobs RB 47 77% 0 0%
Austin Hooper TE 29 48% 0 0%
Hunter Renfrow WR 27 44% 0 0%
Tre Tucker WR 24 39% 4 15%
Ameer Abdullah RB 14 23% 18 69%
DeAndre Carter WR 3 5% 8 31%
Jordan Meredith G 3 5% 3 12%
Jesper Horsted TE 2 3% 18 69%
Defense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Marcus Peters CB 70 100% 0 0%
Tre’von Moehrig FS 70 100% 0 0%
Maxx Crosby DE 70 100% 0 0%
Robert Spillane LB 70 100% 0 0%
Nate Hobbs CB 69 99% 0 0%
Isaiah Pola-Mao FS 54 77% 23 88%
John Jenkins DT 44 63% 5 19%
Bilal Nichols DT 41 59% 5 19%
Tyler Hall CB 41 59% 3 12%
Divine Deablo LB 41 59% 0 0%
Adam Butler DT 39 56% 3 12%
Jerry Tillery DT 35 50% 5 19%
Malcolm Koonce DE 32 46% 23 88%
Luke Masterson LB 23 33% 23 88%
Malik Reed LB 19 27% 5 19%
Tyree Wilson DE 19 27% 5 19%
Marcus Epps SS 16 23% 0 0%
Jack Jones CB 12 17% 0 0%
Jakorian Bennett CB 5 7% 0 0%
Special Teams Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Brandon Bolden RB 0 0% 23 88%
Curtis Bolton LB 0 0% 18 69%
DJ Turner WR 0 0% 18 69%
Christopher Smith SS 0 0% 17 65%
Zamir White RB 0 0% 11 42%
AJ Cole III P 0 0% 9 35%
Jacob Bobenmoyer LS 0 0% 9 35%
Daniel Carlson K 0 0% 7 27%
Amik Robertson CB 0 0% 5 19%
Brandon Parker T 0 0% 3 1

Raiders winners and losers in 20-13 defeat vs. Dolphins

Raiders winners and losers in 20-13 defeat vs. Dolphins

The Raiders went toe-to-toe against a tough Dolphins squad for four quarters on Sunday but came up short, losing 20-13 in Miami.

It was Las Vegas’ first loss under interim coach Antonio Pierce, but the Raiders had a chance to tie the score late until quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw an interception in the end zone with just seconds remaining.

The Raiders’ defense forced three turnovers and overcame a Las Vegas offense that sputtered in the second half, not allowing a single point to the high-flying Dolphins in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for coach Pierce, the Raiders failed to score a point of their own after the break.

Here are the winners and losers for the week, as the Raiders fall to 5-6.

Winner: Raiders defense/DC Patrick Graham

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham led an effort the Raiders defense can be proud of. The Dolphins offense had their share of impressive plays and ended up with 422 total yards, but two recovered fumbles by Las Vegas and an interception by safety Isaiah Pola-Mao on Miami’s first play of the second half helped hold off any sustained Dolphins charge.

The Raiders red zone defense impressed as well, forcing a turnover on downs inside the 10-yard line early in the second quarter. Las Vegas also forced Miami into three field goal tries, which is a high number of attempts for their potent offense.

Their effort in the fourth quarter gave the Raiders offense a chance to capitalize, but three second-half interceptions from O’Connell —with two coming in the final frame — loomed large.

Winner: S Isaiah Pola-Mao

Pola-Mao helped cover for an injury to S Marcus Epps and made a positive impact. First, he was in on a 4th-and-1 stop in the red zone, as he and cornerback Nate Hobbs stopped superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a loss on a swing pass.

Pola-Mao’s interception gave the Raiders solid field position, but the offense failed to convert points on that possession. Overall, Las Vegas scored just six points off of turnovers.

Winner: LB Luke Masterson/CB Nate Hobbs

Linebacker Luke Masterson and Hobbs each forced a fumble, recovered by Epps and LB Divine Deablo, respectively. Each play occurred in the first half, and the Raiders converted each turnover into a field goal.

Considering the Raiders didn’t score at all in the second half, those missed chances for six points instead of three became the difference in the game. This includes a conservative approach on offense after Hobbs’ forced fumble just before the first half came to a close.

Winner: WR Hunter Renfrow

We had a confirmed Renfrow sighting on Sunday. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow had a spectacular catch and run in the second half, as Vegas desperately attempted to even the score at 20 in the final quarter.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, the drive ended in one of O’Connell’s interceptions (this one a wild attempt as O’Connell fell backward to the ground on fourth down), but Renfrow displayed elite, jaw-dropping athleticism as he hurdled a Miami defender.

Winner: QB Aidan O’Connell/WR Davante Adams

O’Connell was on fire in the first quarter, posting a 143.8 QB rating. That was largely because of a 46-yard touchdown toss to superstar WR Davante Adams, which gave Vegas a 10-7 lead. Notably, O’Connell didn’t mind the extra defenders in the area and gave Adams a chance to make a play.

The entire Raiders offense slowed to a near halt after that play, and O’Connell had his three interceptions after the break. But these two are on the winner list because, despite a missed connection in the fourth quarter, their chemistry is improving by the week. If the Raiders are to make a move down the stretch, O’Connell and Adams have to lead the way. On Sunday, they made a huge step in the right direction.

Winner: Coach Antonio Pierce

The Raiders fought hard in this game and gave themselves a chance to beat a superior opponent on the road. It’s a tough loss, but coach Antonio Pierce deserves credit for having his team ready to play. If Las Vegas gives that level of effort every week, they’ll eventually start winning more than they lose.

Honorable mention for the winner list is LB Robert Spillane, who had 13 tackles (six solo) and continues to lead an over-achieving defense.

Loser: RB Josh Jacobs/Run game

A week ago against the Jets, the Raiders kept pounding the run game, featuring RB Josh Jacobs, and eventually broke through. Against the Dolphins, that wasn’t the case. Jacobs ended up with just 39 yards on 14 carries.

Given how close the game was, just a few more timely runs could have made a huge difference, especially in short-yardage situations.

Loser: Short yardage offense/OC Bo Hardegree

The Raiders were 4-for-14 on third-down tries and failed on two fourth-down attempts that came in the fourth quarter.

Las Vegas had plenty of chances before the final frame on third and short, including a failed flea flicker attempt on 3rd-and-1 in the third quarter. Additionally, Jacobs was stuffed for a loss on 3rd-and-1 after Pola-Mao’s interception.

New offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree faces the same issue as his predecessor: a suspect offensive line. Somehow, he has to find some short-yardage plays that can overcome Las Vegas’ inconsistent group up front.

Loser: CB Jakorian Bennett

It’s been a year of lessons for rookie cornerback Jakorian Bennett. After beginning the season as a starter, he’s only seen intermittent action and had some rough moments.

In the first quarter in Miami, a hold on Bennett wiped out a QB sack from defensive end Malcolm Koonce on a 3rd-and-11 play. The Dolphins scored a touchdown on the drive to take a 7-3 lead.

The Raiders took a step back in the standings on Sunday, but they perhaps took a step forward as a franchise. It’s hard to imagine the previous regime playing the Dolphins this tough, and if Pierce can get the same effort out of his team in each remaining week this season, things could get interesting in Vegas. They’ll have yet another massive test next week against the Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium.

Watch: Raiders and Dolphins exchange blows early with long TDs by Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams

Watch: Raiders and Dolphins exchange blows early with long TDs by Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams

It was quite an eventful first quarter in Miami. It began with each team appearing to fumble the ball. The first was Raiders Michael Mayer who had a potential catch punched out on what was initially ruled a fumble that was returned for a TD by the Dolphins. But Mayer never had possession so it was ruled incomplete and the Raiders punted it away.

On the ensuring Dolphins drive, Tua Tagovailoa scrambled up the middle where Luke Masterson punched the ball out. The play was blown dead and Tua was ruled down. But Antonio Pierce challenged that Tua wasn’t down. The ruling was overturned, with the Raiders taking over on the Marcus Epps recovery.

The Raiders would get the ball in field goal range and were unable get a TD out of it, settling for a field goal.

When the Dolphins got it back, they drove downfield and finished it off with an electric Tyreek Hill touchdown catch.

Hill showed off his elite speed and quickness, making the catch and outrunning three Raiders DBs to score.

The Raiders answer back with a deep touchdown to their own elite receiver. Davante Adams got behind the secondary and Aidan O’Connell dropped the ball perfrectly into him for the touchdown.

With the early field goal off the takeaway, that gave the Raiders the lead back at 10-7. And all in the first quarter.

Dolphins activate rookie sensation RB De’Von Achane to face Raiders

Dolphins activate rookie sensation RB DeVon Achane to face Raiders

Today the Dolphins added an unexpected weapon as they welcome the Raiders to town on Sunday. His name is De’Von Achane. And he ha the makings of a phenom.

The rookie third round pick exploded onto the scene. Over a three-week span, Achane ran for 455 yards and five touchdowns on 37 carries (12.3 yards per carry). He added eight catches for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

That’s 518 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. In THREE GAMES. For an average of 173 yards and 2.3 touchdowns per game. That’s absolutely absurd.

Achane landed on injured reserve after that with a knee injury. And today, he was activated.

As Adam Schefter noted, despite missing the past four games, Achane is still currently tied for the league lead with six runs of 20 yards or more and has sole possession of the most runs of 40 yards or more (four).

The Dolphins already had a track team with the likes of WR Tyreek Hill, RB Raheem Mostert, and WR Jaylen Waddle. Now getting Achane back and the Raiders will have to hope they can keep up. Literally.

Raiders, Dolphins final injury report: LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham both Questionable

Raiders LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham both Questionable vs Dolphins

Whether the Raiders will have their starting left side of the offensive line has been in question all week. Now it’s official — LT Kolton Miller and LG Dylan Parham are both Questionable for Sunday’s game in Miami.

Coming off the injury report entirely was Amik Robertson who suffered a concussion in last week’s game against the Jets.

The Dolphins will be without WR Chase Claypool, and offensive linemen Rob Hunt and Rob Jones.

Raiders, Dolphins Thursday injury report: LT Kolton Miller, LB Dylan Parham return to practice

Raiders LT Kolton Miller, LB Dylan Parham both returned to practice Thursday

Just yesterday the Raiders were missing their starting left side of the offensive line. Today it looks like there’s hope both could play Sunday in Miami.

Left tackle Kolton Miller (shoulder) and left guard Dylan Parham (calf) took the practice field today. Also returning to practice were cornerback Amik Robertson (concussion) and linebacker Curtis Bolton (illness).

In other words, they got everybody back.

Miller missed last week with his shoulder injury. His return would be the most significant. Robertson’s return is probably the most surprising considering he was knocked completely unconscious Sunday night against the Jets. Miller, Parham and Robertson were all still limited in Thursday’s practice.

For the Dolphins, several players missed practice for the second straight day including WR Chase Claypool, OL Rob Hunt, and OL Rob Jones.

Raiders, Dolphins Wednesday injury report: LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham both miss practice

LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham both miss practice

Wednesday the Raiders and Dolphins began preparing for their matchup in Miami on Sunday. The Raiders did so without the left side of their offensive line.

Left tackle Kolton Miller was still missing with a shoulder injury. He was joined by left guard Dylan Parham who is nursing a calf injury.

Also missing was cornerback Amik Robertson who suffered a concussion in Sunday night’s game against the Jets.

The Raiders did get fullback Jakob Johnson back from his concussion, so he figures to be ready to go this week.

The Dolphins were missing six players. We will see how many of them are still not practicing on Thursday to know who just a little banged up and who is actually in danger of missing the game Sunday.

Raiders winners and losers in OT victory vs. Dolphins

Raiders winners and losers in OT victory vs. Dolphins

Suddenly, the Raiders are the most entertaining show in Las Vegas.

Coach Jon Gruden’s squad beat the Dolphins in an overtime thriller on Sunday, 31-28, after Las Vegas fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter. The Raiders stormed back with 25 unanswered points and overcame late-game adversity to get the victory.

Las Vegas’ win put its record at 3-0, the first such mark for the Raiders since 2002. The franchise just so happens to have gone to the Super Bowl that season.

But it’s hard to imagine the Raiders making it to the Super Bowl playing as they did on Sunday. They got the win, but just barely after they had gained a decisive lead in the fourth quarter. Still, it was a huge victory. Here are the players that made the largest impact for the better and for the worse.

Winners

Casey Hayward Jr. 

The Raiders’ march to victory started with an incredible play by Las Vegas’ starting cornerback. With the Dolphins still holding a 14-0 lead and in the shadow of their own goalpost on offense, Hayward instinctively jumped on a foolish pass attempt by Miami.

The Dolphins’ receiver was in the end zone when he caught the ball, and Hayward pounced with a textbook tackle for a Raiders safety. The Raiders scored a field goal after Miami’s free-kick, closing the score to 14-5.

It was a historic moment, too. According to Pro Football Reference, it was the first such safety to be recorded in their database, since it was a pass play without a fumble or penalty.

Alec Ingold

Fullback Alec Ingold caught quarterback Derek Carr’s first touchdown of the day, but before that, he had to play hero at the goal line for a completely different reason.

As the Raiders offense drove down the field still down 14-5, they gave the ball to running back Peyton Barber up the middle. He fumbled, and after the football was flung into the air, Ingold swooped in and caught it, falling forward and nearly scoring himself.

One play later, Ingold caught his touchdown on a play-action pass to the right side of the offense, and the Raiders’ comeback had picked up some real steam.

Peyton Barber

When starting running back Josh Jacobs’ health started to become an issue after Week 1, most assumed RB Kenyan Drake would get the majority of carries in his place. Gruden said no, it would be the newly-acquired Barber. Most scoffed at the notion, myself included.

But Barber had an incredible 23 carries on Sunday for 111 yards and a touchdown. His 27-yard run in overtime was crucial, coming right after a 34-yard catch by wide receiver Bryan Edwards. The big plays helped set up a game-winning field goal from Daniel Carlson in the extra frame.

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Raiders trapped by own fears, failures in late-game decision vs. Dolphins

The Raiders had a chance to notch a big win on national television but couldn’t get out of their own way and lost a head-scratcher to Miami.

Imagine having the football at the 1-yard line, trailing the opponent by a single point with just over a minute remaining in the game. That scenario should fill one with confidence.

But not for coach Jon Gruden and the Raiders. The team decided to take a knee, winding the clock down as far as possible before kicking what should have been the game-winning field goal against the Dolphins. It wasn’t, of course, and Las Vegas lost, placing its record at a disappointing 7-8.

Taking the knee and kicking the field goal should have worked, sure. But it didn’t, and Gruden’s decision revealed that the Raiders are still dominated by their own past failures; they’re more fearful of getting bit than confident that they won’t.

As the Raiders inched closer to the goal line, down that single point, two factors rose slowly to the forefront: Las Vegas’s terrible defense and the inability of the offense to score a touchdown in the Red Zone.

First of all, Gruden said his mind was on the loss to the Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium, when the Raiders scored a touchdown late in the game only to watch Kansas City notch a game-winning TD in less than 1:43. The coach knew that his defense, though it was in the midst of a decent game, could not hold the Dolphins for long. Thus, the knee was taken. Sound strategy, though it’s based on a weakness that bit the Raiders anyway.

Secondly, it’s possible that the team’s mounting struggles in the Red Zone blinded Gruden from the possibility of trying to score a touchdown at all. They had been trying to do so all game, only to kick multiple short field goals to that point. In a scenario that seemingly wasn’t considered, Las Vegas could have taken the knee and then still tried for a touchdown.

Sure, it would have been risky. The Raiders were down a point. If they failed, the game would be over. But that’s not the moment to think about failure. To gain one yard and put the game away is usually a dream-scenario for a coach. For Gruden and the Raiders, however, it was a nightmare that caused much twisting and turning, all for a national audience.

And their worst fears materialized. The Raiders made what could easily be considered the right play in taking a knee and kicking, But so much thought — literally plotting around your own fears — is rarely good for the soul of a club. The defense merely did what it was feared they would. If Gruden really wants to change the direction of the losing franchise he’s currently building, he’d do well to simply score as many touchdowns as possible — in any situation — and live with those results.

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Jon Gruden says ‘we’ll see’ if Raiders face discarded draft pick WR Lynn Bowden Jr. vs. Dolphins

The Raiders drafted Lynn Bowden Jr. in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft and quickly discarded him. But he’s found a home with an AFC foe.

This year hasn’t gone as planned for coach Jon Gruden and the Raiders. Multiple factors have led to yet another late-season collapse, and the team is still looking to gain its eighth win and avoid a losing campaign.

The issues range from the immediate, most notably, quarterback Derek Carr’s groin injury, all the way back to the remote past, such as trading stud defensive end Khalil Mack to start Gruden’s tenure. (Sure, that trade is debatable, but the Raiders’ lack of strength in its front-7 is holding the team back mightily.)

But hold on, let’s not go that far backward. Let’s go to the start of the 2020 campaign: the draft. The Raiders selected the versatile Lynn Bowden Jr. in the third round, only to trade him to the Dolphins before the season started, sending a sixth-round pick along with Bowden and receiving a fourth-round choice in return.

Bowden played wide receiver and quarterback in college at Kentucky, but in a curious move, the Raiders tried him at running back. They apparently decided he wasn’t very good (there were also reported character issues, denied by general manager Mike Mayock) and shipped him out of town, talent and all.

Now, Bowden is on a hot streak with his new club, contributing to a surprisingly solid campaign for the Dolphins, who the Raiders just happen to face this Saturday.

Gruden was asked about Bowden by reporters on Tuesday, and his answer was short, and a tad disparaging.

“Well, he’s got to play because they’ve had some injuries, and obviously they’re using him in the slot,” Gruden said. “They’re using some gadget plays, and we’ll see if we see Lynn. I’m happy for him. I’m glad he found a role. But when [Jakeem] Grant got hurt, when DeVante Parker got hurt, they adjust much like we have to adjust.”

Okay, so Bowden was a bit buried on the depth chart. But he’s been unearthed in a big way, and his recent success makes the Raiders’ brass look somewhat incompetent. Especially considering what Las Vegas has gotten from the draft picks it decided to keep.

Check out this stat from the Raiders Wire’s own Levi Damian.

Due to the above ridiculousness, the Raiders look incredibly short-sighted, to say the least. This season is heading down the drain yet again, and Las Vegas will likely get an up-close look at one of their failed moves this weekend. There’s still time to salvage what’s left of the campaign and earn win No. 8, and Gruden had better make that happen so failures like this are lost in the shuffle as opposed to staring him in the face on game day.

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