Silver And Black Pride
5 questions with The Phinsider
The Las Vegas Raiders head to the Miami Dolphins in Week 11 and we’ll get to see what the Silver & Black are all about after the bye week.
To preview the matchup, Kevin Nogle from our friends at The Phinsider took the time to answer a few questions about the Dolphins for Raider Nation.
Q: Miami has gone from the second-ranked scoring offense in 2023 to 30th in the league nine games into the 2024 campaign. What’s the biggest obstacle for the Dolphins to overcome to become the explosive offense they once were?
I wish there was an easy answer to this one. Losing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for four games was a huge blow to the offense, but the team is not putting up a ton of points with him back on the field either.
Head coach Mike McDaniel seems to be pressing too hard at times, trying to prove that he is the offensive genius he has been dubbed and looking for the perfect play or the perfect evolution to his offense, rather than sticking to what works.
Defenses are sticking to two-high looks and bracketing both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, with a jam at the line of scrimmage to throw off the timing between the receivers and Tagovailoa, but if that is all it takes to change Miami from averaging nearly 30 points per game to barely two touchdowns per game, then the offensive scheme was a mirage.
The Dolphins have run the ball more this season, which does take down some of the explosive offensive plays, with running backs Raheem Mostert or De’Von Achane getting the ball instead of simply looking for Hill and Waddle on 65-yard passes, but again, the deep pass should be there, especially if a defense is creeping up to stop the run, but we really are not seeing it.
Hill has been dealing with a torn ligament in his wrist, which could be a part of why we are seeing him rotate off the field as much as we have been this year. Waddle has had a drops problem this season. Maybe there is something bothering him as well.
Whatever has caused this downturn in Miami’s offense has to be answered if the team wants to have any chance at a surprise wild card run this year.
Q: How does Miami take advantage of Las Vegas struggling defense in Sunday’s matchup?
If you have what should be an explosive offense but have yet to find their full groove for the season, they could use a game against a team that has struggled to limit teams from scoring.
The Raiders, sitting at 30th in the league with an average of 27.9 points per game allowed, could be exactly what Miami needs to get themselves in rhythm. Of course, Raiders fans are probably looking at a game against a 3-6 team that has scored an average of just 16.3 points per game this year and see a...
