It wasn’t meant to be like this for the Oakland Raiders who were in the drivers seat for the AFC West. They visited Miami with everything to play for and left battered and bruised after the Dolphins took them to task with a relentless display on both sides of the ball. Oakland was outrushed 209 yards (with a 4.8 yards per carry) to 46 (3.3 per) and this was the fourth time in the last six games they were flagged at least 10 times.
The final score flattered Oakland with two consolation touchdowns which were two more than they deserved. Given how the Raiders found themselves manhandled on both sides of the ball, they have a lot of soul-searching to do. Will they simply get better when players return? Or has the momentum that at one time made them favorites for the AFC West run its course?
As for Miami what can you say? Their season looked over after seven straight defeats, but since then they’ve put together the kind of run most teams would kill for at this stage of the season. On the back of a tough defense and the surprisingly impressive displays of Matt Moore, the last five weeks have created something of a problem for the Dolphins hierarchy as to what to do when the season ends. Let’s look at some of the most notable performances from this one.
Oakland – Three Performances of Note
Troublesome Tackles
It wasn’t just Khalif Barnes (-6.1) who had some problems on the Raiders' offensive line, with Jared Veldheer (-1.9) having more than his fair share of issues, particularly with Jason Taylor. Still, it was Barnes with his three penalties, one hit and three pressures given up that ‘stole’ the show in terms of bad tackle play as he lost his match up with Cameron Wake. This was something of a given heading into this contest, so the more alarming failure was that of Veldheer, who looked a shadow of the player who handled Jared Allen so effectively two weeks ago. He seemed to have plenty of problems with his footwork as Taylor continually got him moving backwards to make life for Carson Palmer particularly tough.
Better Than the Stat Sheet Says
It may seem odd that Darrius Heyward-Bey walked away with a +1.6 receiving grade despite picking up just 23 yards on seven targets, with a touchdown in garbage time. Once again numbers can be deceiving and the former first round pick made two other excellent catches, only for them to be called back on penalties. They don’t take away from the excellent grabs Heyward-Bey was able to make, especially with 1:48 to go in the first half. Here DHB made a tricky sideline grab on a comeback route in a real display of talent and it's perfectly okay to feel slightly agitated that two of his best plays went largely unnoticed.
Bad Day All Around
I’ve had Richard Seymour (-4.2) in my All Pro team for most of the year as he’s put forth a series of dominant displays. So this was something of a surprise as Seymour, recently recovered from injury, looked far from his best even before his disqualification for throwing a punch to a helmeted Richie Incognito. His penalty was the only time he landed himself on the stat sheet in this game as he failed to generate any pressure on 20 pass rushing attempts. Seymour did draw a needless penalty from Incognito but he was almost invisible in the running game. Can the the defensive team captain work himself back into top form? The Raiders desperately need him to do so based on the evidence from this game.
Miami – Three Performances of Note
Delivering for Their Dollars
Earlier in the season, Kevin Burnett (+3.1) drew my ire on more than one occasion for his poor start to life as a Dolphin. He didn’t bring what Channing Crowder brought to run defense and was responsible for far too many mental lapses in coverage. In recent weeks, though, Burnett has shed this ‘waste of money’ tag, and played like the guy we saw in San Diego; his display against the Raiders, superb. It wasn’t just his interception returned for a touchdown but how he tracked receivers in coverage in the game. He also showed improved prowess in run defense as exemplified in the second quarter with 13:30 left where he beats Marcel Reece to make a tackle for a short gain. The pairing of Burnett and Karlos Dansby (+3.9) really look to be finding their feet, and becoming the duo they were meant to be, rather than the duo they started off the year as.
The Real Matt Moore?
Normally I’d find a way to look at Matt Moore's (+5.7) performance in such a way to dampen expectations regarding his long term future. I’ve seen enough over the years to expect the worst from him, so why is it I’m softening and accepting the possibility he may have grown into a better quarterback? It’s performances like this one, where he handles pressure with aplomb and doesn’t make the kind of throws you associate with him. Indeed, the more he plays the better his decision-making seems to become, which, when coupled with his good arm makes quite the intriguing combination. Even his accuracy, so often erratic, has improved despite what the 52% completion percentage may tell you. He made a number of excellent throws, only for the Raiders defensive backs to make good plays or his receivers (Charles Clay primarily) to leave the ball on the ground. He’s done more than I thought possible to make himself a valuable commodity come the end of the season.
Positively Perfect
It’s very rare for me, a noted ‘Negative Ned’, to not temper celebrations with some cautionary words. If I was being picky I’d go into detail regarding the drops of Charles Clay, but his run blocking made up for his woes. Instead, I’ll break the habit of a lifetime and focus on another positive: Will Allen (+3.2). The slot cornerback broke up as many passes as he allowed (two) and only gave up 11 yards on the five balls thrown his way as he blanketed all those he lined-up on. A good comeback story is always nice to see, so it’s good that Allen can still play to a high level.
Games Notes
– Carson Palmer threw away four balls in this one after only throwing away one ball before Week 13.
– The Dolphins missed just three tackles on defense.
– Only one Raiders defender, John Henderson, graded in the green with a +2.0 rating.
Game Ball
This was an example of how you win as a team and so I'd feel a little dirty giving the game ball to just one person. With that in mind, the duo of Kevin Burnett and Karlos Dansby get the nod here.
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