The Raiders are back in action after their bye week and will travel across the country to face the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday. Las Vegas will try to break a five-game losing streak and rekindle the spark that coach Antonio Pierce provided as interim coach last season.
He’ll have a new play caller on offense: this season’s interim coach in Las Vegas, offensive coordinator Scott Turner. He’ll take over for the recently fired Luke Getsy.
According to 506sports.com, the game will be a regional broadcast in the truest sense. Only areas surrounding Las Vegas and Miami will see the game on CBS. Raiders fans in Oakland and Los Angeles will see the Ravens face the Steelers.
The game kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific time. East Coast games are often a struggle for West Coast teams, so Las Vegas has to start quickly after being off for a week. That won’t be easy and will provide a tough test for Pierce.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew will lead the offense for Turner. Most assumed Pierce would give QB Desmond Ridder a shot after the bye, but Minshew will get another chance to prove he can make plays. Most importantly, Minshew has an opportunity to prove he can take care of the football.
The Raiders defense will face a tough test, as the Dolphins are plush with playmakers, led by wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Las Vegas run defense will have to be stout and make the Miami offense one-dimensional, allowing defensive end Maxx Crosby to thrive in pass-rush situations.
Will the Raiders get their first win since September? Miami has struggled this year but had a big win last week, so they’ll be fired up. If Las Vegas can match that intensity and make a few key plays, they’ll have a shot at breaking into the win column.