Any game in which punter Shane Lechler is called on to punt eight times, it doesn’t bode well for the Oakland Raiders – Sunday was one of those games. The Raiders, who fell into a tie for first in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos at 7-5 on the year, played uninspired for most of their 34-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in Miami.
Lechler punted for an average of 46.5 yards, but like the rest of his teammates, the Raiders’ Pro Bowl punter wasn’t the best at his position – Miami’s punter Brandon Fields had four punts for an average of 55.5 yards.
The Raiders’ defense did all they could to keep the game close in the first half, but after being on the field for 18:56 of 30 minutes, the humidity and heat took its toll as the Dolphins’ offense had their way in the blowout.
Untimely penalties and poor offensive play prevented the Raiders from ever being in the game. After being penalized just six times for 44 yards a week ago, the Raiders returned to their carefree ways and accounted for 10 penalties for 91 yards, and had a star defender ejected from the game.
Carson Palmer was sacked only twice, but hurried nearly every passing play on his way to completing 20 of 41 passes for 273 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Raiders only gained 46 yards on the ground on 14 carries (3.3 ypc), while Miami gained 209 yards on 44 carries (4.8 ypc). The less-heralded quarterback in the game, Matt Moore, completed just 13 of 25 passes for 161 yards, but he had no interceptions compared to one touchdown to go along with his 22 rushing yards and touchdown.
Twice in the first quarter, Raiders defenders prevented the Dolphins from reaching the end zone and settling for a pair of field goals by placekicker Dan Carpenter – a 48 yarder after an eight-play, 40-yard drive, and a 33-yard make after a 12-play, 60-yard drive. The Raiders totaled only 14 yards on six plays with their first two possessions, but their third of the game showed promise.
Palmer completed a six-yard pass to tailback Michael Bush and an eight-yard pass to tight end Kevin Boss on two consecutive plays to record the first Raiders first down of the game with 55 seconds left in the opening quarter. On third and 10, from the Oakland 34 yard line, Palmer completed a 14-yard pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey to give the Raiders two first downs by the end of the quarter.
The Raiders on their 48 yard line and finally holding some momentum in the game began to self-destruct. Under pressure, Palmer threw the ball away in the direction of his tight end, but Boss was nowhere near where the ball landed, as it bounced two yards behind the line of scrimmage. On second and 20, from their own 38 yard line, Palmer threaded a laser over the middle to Heyward-Bey for what would have been a 20-yard gain, but right tackle Khalif Barnes was called for holding.
A glimmer of hope returned two plays later after Palmer was picked off by linebacker Karlos Dansby due to an illegal contact penalty on fellow Dolphins’ linebacker Kevin Burnett to give the Raiders a first down from their own 34. The drive ended when Palmer was sacked for an eight-yard loss on third and nine.
Miami made the most of their good fortune on the ensuing drive. Two passes to tight end Anthony Fasano for 36 yards led to a Moore 12-yard touchdown pass to receiver Davone Bess, who had started the drive with a 21-yard return of Lechler’s 57-yard punt. The score extended the Dolphins’ lead to 13-0, with 8:24 remaining in the first half. Bess, who was being covered by linebacker Aaron Curry, crossed the field from right to left and received the short slant pass at the nine and run unfettered to the end zone for the score.
After the two-minute warning, Palmer completed a pair of passes to receiver Chaz Schilens, the first for 16 yards and then a 30-yard pass and catch in the soft portion, near the left sideline, of Miami’s cover-two. The second strike put the Raiders on the Miami 37 yard line with 1:48 remaining in the half. Palmer completed another pass to the right sideline for 14 yards to Heyward-Bey, but again Barnes killed the drive with another holding penalty.
In fairness to Barnes, the penalty was a questionable call by the officials, but the sack of Palmer that followed was not. After getting to the Miami 23 yard line, the Raiders faced a third-down play needing 27 yards from their own 46 yard line.
The Dolphins began the second half with a Clyde Gates 77-yard kickoff return to start their first possession of the third quarter from the Raiders’ 25 yard line. Aided by a another penalty, this time a 20-yard pass interference infraction on cornerback Stanford Routt, put the ball on the one-yard line and set up a Reggie Bush touchdown run to put the Dolphins up by 20 with 29 minutes remaining in the game.
In the third quarter, the Dolphins would put three touchdowns on the board to go ahead 34-0 before the start of the final quarter. Their second possession of the quarter lasted 13 plays, 76 yards, over seven and a half minutes, and had the positive of getting Raiders’ defensive tackle Richard Seymour thrown out of the game.
Two plays before the end of Miami’s second touchdown drive, and just after Miami had gained 22 yards on seven consecutive running plays, Seymour was caught ‘throwing a jab’ at Dolphins’ offensive lineman Richie Incognito while being blocked. The penalty put the ball on the Raiders’ nine yard line, and two plays later, Moore ran into the end zone for the score.
The Dolphins rushed on nine consecutive plays from the 50 yard line for the score, and were aided by an encroachment penalty on Curry and Seymour’s ejection.
To add insult to injury, the Raiders’ offense not only couldn’t answer Moore’s touchdown run, but they were also embarrassed by an interception of a Palmer pass that ended with another Miami score. Palmer, who threw over the middle to a crossing Louis Murphy, had the ball tipped by Murphy to Boss, who then tipped the ball up to linebacker Burnett. The Dolphins defender caught the ball, ran towards the sideline and cut up field for the score.
Up 34-0, the Dolphins used preventative measures to keep the Raiders from getting back in the game – soft zones on defense and safe plays on offense.
The Raiders would score two garbage-time touchdowns in the fourth quarter – one being a one-handed grab by Heyward-Bey. Heyward-Bey, who had two of his receptions returned, costing 50 yards, accounted for just three receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown. Schilens led all Raiders receivers with six receptions for 89 yards.
Oakland will now get the opportunity to face the undefeated Green Bay Packers (12-0), in Green Bay next week with first place, and a playoff trip on the line.
Comments