Dolphins at Raiders Week 3 Preview

the Week three matchup for your Miami Dolphins. We're gonna go position by position, talk about opportunities, challenges, tell you how both Miami and Las Vegas can win this game from tendencies, personnel usage, advanced metrics, matchups on the tape, as well as the three keys to victory for Miami. The most comprehensive Dolphins weekly preview matchup show starts now from the Baptist Health Studios inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.

This is the Drive Time Podcast when the big news of the day on Wednesday comes from the opening of the Brian Flores press conference on Wednesday morning, when he stepped to the podium and revealed the twa tongue by Looa has fractured ribs and will be out for the game on Sunday. Jacoby Brissette will start in his place at quarterback under center for the Miami Dolphins. But the

show doesn't stop. We are still heading out to Las Vegas for the weekend and we'll meet the Red Hot Raiders, who have a pair of wins in games that they entered as dogs, going in a pair of victories over a pair of prominent a f C North Juggernauts who have been contenders basically every year for the last two decades. And that's not been uncommon for this Raiders team under

John Gruden. Last year they started off to and oh, including a big win in the week to matchup over the New Orleans Saints, and that team went as far as the Divisional round in the postseason. In twenty nineteen, the Raiders went into their bye week at three and two and that included a loss to the Juggernaut Chiefs. So a fast starting team, a team that has began the last couple of seasons four and two in the

month of December. Now, this is the fourth year of Gruden on that ten year contract he inked back in eighteen, and they've spent a lot of time adding pieces to

the offense, and it's worked. The offense has had really no issues moving the ball and scoring points Undergrouden, and I remember scouting this team back in and more most notably the quarterback position when Derek Carr was talked about an m v P discussions, when I did my breakdowns on third and ten dot com rest in peace pouring out for the website, I remember battling with Raiders fans because I had argued that team had one thing that

really made it dominant offensively, a line that got consistent push in the ground game and could thwart pretty much any pass rush that came at them with just a bowler after pro bowler upfront and then from their car would assess these three or four vertical route concepts that he had and ripped one of them to Amari Cooper, to Michael Crabtree to Seth Roberts or check that thing down to a Jalen Richard or DeAndrea Washington or even

sometimes Latavius Murray in that backfield, and those guys would take advantage of the vacated space from the vertical concepts and the strong pass protection like it worked very very well for team. So I wasn't a big Car believer then or coming out of the draft. And that's kind of been Derek Carr's whole career, right. He's he's just not respected in the way he should be as far as his production compared to the level of respect he

gets now for me. For me, I think that his game has grown as much as anybody, and I'm very, very willing to allow new information to reshape my opinion, and Car has done that for me. And let's go ahead and make that the prelude into the Raiders quarterback versus the Dolphins safeties. But real quick, let's finish the

prelude because we left it open there. The defense for the Raiders has been their bugaboo under Gruden over the last few years as Car has developed into an absolute stud and that offense continues to click on all cylinders to beat the Chiefs last year in a shoot up, and it tells you kind of how far along they are offensively. And so this year Gruden and Mayock, the GM formerly of NFL Network, went after the defense hard in the draft class and free agency, particularly at that

safety position. In April's draft with Treyvon Morrig, Tyree Gillipse Callispie and Divine Diablo, probably the greatest name in football history. Though Diablo is more of a sub package linebacker type at this stage of his career. But I really really liked the games of Merrig and Gollizpie at safety and think Diablo has a chance to really develop into that kind of position. Changes you're possible money backer, sub package linebacker,

a little bit of you know, multifaceted linebacker. They're cann play multiple roles, but so far only marrig is playing on defense exclusively, where Gillizpie and de Alblow have been special teams nearly exclusively. But the point is that they really put their eggs in the defensive basket this offseason, so we'll see how quickly they can acclimate those new parts.

But as they do that, to start off two and oh, you have to imagine the Raiders are flying high and their fans have to be thrilled with those two victories. So they come into a home game undefeated off a couple of big wins, and the Dolphins starting quarterback is down, so they have to be thinking, this is a great chance for us to get to three and oh, but not so fast. Let's talk about the Raiders quarterbacks versus

the Dolphins. Safety is here and Derek Carr, you know, going back to him, he's processing right now as well as anybody in the league. He's executing full field reads and he has an absolute comfort in Jon Gruden system, something that I think comes with four years together. And as a neutral observer, I love the way and this goes back sixteen again that they're and that's a different coaching staff, but their vertical game is really shaping up.

They can get to four vertes from any set, which is difficult to define end and like if you go third team personnel, and they can do that with Derek Carrier, Foster Moreau and then obviously Darren Waller, who will talk extensively about here on this podcast. But to get to that set and to go four verts, it's tough to contend with because you can run the football against if the defense wants to adjust by going more coverage heavy, or you can throw it against linebacker heavy packages and

get your one on one matchups that way. And especially with the way Derek Carr is currently attacking leverage, Like there was a throw in the Pittsburgh game where he locates the post safety and single high and throws off the leverage of the man coverage in the slot. Like there's no separation when you look across the board, and that's kind of one of the challenges you deal with when you go into these tight end heavy sets to

throw the ball from. It's like, you're not going to really create explosive separation because that's just something that's how the nature of that position, by how they run routes. But even when there is no separation, he just puts the ball away from the coverage. They get off their man and they can make the catch and it goes

right into the direction of somebody else's route. But once again, because as he's reading leverage, like and when you hear leverage, it's all about how is that defender going to move based upon their current position. So I talk a lot about terms in this podcast. Right, leverage just means if my butt is to the sideline and I have a step going towards the middle of the field, You're reading that leverage as the outside is going to become available

because I'm vacating that spot. It's all about anticipatory thinking in this game and leverage, whether it's blocking coverage pre snap look from a defender. Leverage will tell you everything you need to know. Once you learn how to read leverage, that's when your game can take off from a mental standpoint, if you have the physical skills to match. Like, I can read leverage, but I have a pop gun arm,

so I can't play quarterback. And I wait a hundred and sixty pounds, so I would get murdered if I played behind an NFL offensive line anyway, that's beside the point. So reading leverage, he just knows that, Okay, that defender has his back to me. He's not going to peel off that coverage. If he does, that's an ed read level play. We're gonna risk that he's not gonna make an ed read level play because only really read ever did that. And then the intended target gets his eyes

back to the quarterback. And then because he can react to that past that way, he can come off that coverage and get away from the leverage of the defender and make a nice catch and contested traffic or slightly behind him away from that defender. So Car is adept at getting the football out in the face of pressure, like he can do that fade away where they kind of get to their back foot and just buy as much time as they can and loft the ball with a lot of air under it on the deep pass

and plenty of anticipation to throw to a spot. One of the things we were very high on this podcast with two a tongue by low of this training camp, and man, he's been accurate throwing the football down the field. And that's gonna be a big matchup in this game because Miami does so well to defend the deep ball and not allow explosive plays. Through two games so far,

both opposing offenses do not have the explosive play. There was the big one to Emmanuel Sanders and then of course the big one on one to Stavon Diggs late in that game, but that was a ball at best. But in general, this Dolphins defense does not give up the deep stuff. So that's an interesting matchup here because on balls twenty plush yards, Derek Carr's seven for twelve with two hundred thirty four yards, no picks and a couple of touchdowns, so really really good deep ball production

there from Derek Carr. Then on intermediate balls in that ten to nineteen yard range. He's eight for nine for one hundred and fifty one yards throwing the ball between the numbers, so squarely in the middle of the field with ten to nineteen yards of depth. He's been on fire. And think about Darren Waller in that position. In total, he's ten for twenty with a hundred and seventy yards,

a touchdown, and no picks throwing intermediate. In fact, his only interception on the season came on a short throw over the middle. You probably all remember it in that Baltimore game. It deflected off a face mask and into the air for up for grabs and the Ravens picked that thing off. Against pressure, Car is thirteen of twenty six for two hundred and fifty two passing yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. That's nine point seven yards per attempt.

He's handling murky pockets of very very well. When blitzed fourteen four yards and two touchdowns, that's twelve yards per attempt.

He's been fantastic, and I think Miami's man coverage could really serve the defense well this week, as car will certainly want to locate the safeties and what they're doing to try to find his matchup and find out how he can get the ball to Darren Waller or possibly over the top to Henry Ruggs, and more times than not, the matchup he wants is going to be Darren Waller. His twenty six targets are most in the National Football League tight ends, receivers, or backs, or otherwise more than

anybody else for Darren Waller. Let's go ahead and meld this segment into the Dolphins defensive backs versus the Raiders skill players, and what they've been doing is utilizing the speed of Henry Ruggs to force the defense into protecting the deep part of the field and then really attacking those potentially vacated areas by going after a Darren Waller or a hunter Renfro, whatever the case may be. But really, regardless of coverage on Waller, they want to get him

the ball. Gonna throw him the football over and over and over again. So if you're on wall or even if you're doubled or bracketed or zone or whatever the case, maybe car is gonna go after him. Thirteen targets per game for the first two weeks, and this is where last week's usage in Miami's depth at the position I think you know pairs well with these the Week sixteen game a year ago. It fascinates me actually because we saw mccordy in Holland play more than fifty snaps in

that game. On Sunday, we saw Eric Rose snap count really dropped the most it has since he's been here, down to twenty six snaps, and then Brandon Jones was also in the twenty snap range. I'll be really curious to see the plan for Waller. But the best way to really get after Car is well the same way you get after pretty much all quarterbacks. You disguise your coverage pre snap and force that extra half second delay

on Car on those anticipation throws. I think that's where you can really get him because we saw the sacks last year from Andrew van Ginkel. I think he had two sacks in that game, and there was some trepidation from Car as the pocket began to crumble, and that needs to be replicated in this game. So those guys is versatility at safety. If it can just cause confusion or a beat of hesitancy from Derek Carr, just a very very little beat could really pay or play rather

in Miami's favor. Now moving to the receivers. I mean Waller is truly deserving of his own segment. The guy's a freak. John Gruden called him the best player he's ever coached, and remember Jon Gruden has coached Warren SAPs very high praise. Henry Ruggs though, speed guy, vertical skill set, crossers. You get that deep over route without a pass rush, he can kill you there. He can take screen passes

and turn those into big plays. But as far as playing man coverage on Henry Ruggs, always want to keep your eye on the deep portion of the field, which is something Miami does so very well. But if you go man coverage, you probably want to roll help over there because he can take the top off the defense. He's as fast as anybody doing it. Hunter Renfroze skill set, quicks, reliable hands, toughness, first guy and last guy out type of player. Now we saw XAVI being Howard travel with

digs last week. We've also seen this defense play one guy to a side with regards to X you go here, Byron you go there. So I'm not sure this offense requires a travel. We will see because Waller is that primary target and the guy you focus on, But I don't imagine that would be a Byron Jones or Xaviing

Howard asked, maybe it is, we'll find out. I'm not sure how the Dolphins want to defend that, but if you bracket Waller, who can contend best with Rugs's speed, I happen to think that's Byron Jones because he has the ability to transition and get up field and get vertical and defend those deep balls. He's been very good through two games. Justin Coleman, I think is my matchup on Hunter Renfro, because you know he played that week to game compared to what Nick Needham did in week one.

It was basically a flop or a swap for those two guys. I think Coleman's physicality is a good match for renfro skill set. Let's let's really focus on disrupting him with physicality and getting hands on him. I like Justin Coleman's ability to do that. So where does that leave xaviing Howard in this whole thing. I'm just not really sure. I mean, you obviously can put him on anybody and feel good about it. Maybe it is Waller. I'm not sure what it is, but I like the

way Jones matches up with Rugs. I like the way Renfro matches up or Coleman ratches up rather with Renfro, And we'll see where X goes. Maybe X does go on Rugs. I'm not really sure how that works. But in the Ravens game, the Raiders had very little success against their man coverage looks, but went to work on their zone coverage. Something to keep in mind there, because Miami played about man coverage last week and about the

prior week. But Derek Carr is an athlete. He's just not quite the runner that Josh Allen is, so playing man coverage is even more viable in this situation if you want to bracket both Waller and Ruggs, who again, those are the two guys. If you can take them out, you're gonna win this game in my opinion, because those are the two guys that really make this offense click.

And that means no blitzing if you want to do that, because if you're gonna bracket two receivers, you're gonna have to have six defensive backs at least on the field to be able to cover up all five options and double those guys, which bleeds into our next possession group into the trenches. The Las Vegas offensive line versus the Miami front and the offensive line changes where the cause of much consternation among pundents with this Raiders team this offseason.

Myself included. I thought Rodney Hudson wasn't all proc. Trent Brown's a Pro Bowl lel tackle, thought Gabe Jackson is bordering on Pro Bowl level. All three of them are gone. Denzel Good and Richie Incongnito both are on i R. So a lot of change up front for this Raiders team. And here are the pressures by starter as far as the guys who played in the Pittsburgh game. Colton Miller for me, by far the best player of the bunch. Four pressures, no hits allowed. Jermaine illuminoire he was hearing

with us in camp. One pressure that was a hit. Andre James three pressures, one hit allowed. John Simpsons seven pressures, one hit allowed. Alex Leatherwood seven pressures, one hit, but three of the team's four sacks have been charged to Leatherwood allowed so far for the Raiders. However, he exited the Steelers game and John Gruden said he'd be question Noble to play, but they also signed Jackson Barton off the Giants practice squads and maybe some tea leaves there

as far as who might play in that game. But in Leatherwood's place on Sunday was Brandon Parker. And he's another one of these big, lumbering guys that his profile didn't come out as far as a guy that can really really show movement skills. He was more of a power player, and that is where the primary matchup in

this game exists. For me. Emmanuel Ogba has been not just one of the dolphins best defenders so far, one of the best players in the team through the first two weeks, and that goes back to last season as well.

But pressures run stops sack production. He needs to win his one on one matchups when he gets them in this game, and I like his ability to do that because both Leatherwood and Parker, whoever it might be out there, are young players, and Aga can really show them a thing or two about heavy hands, momentum, and the arsenal of pass rush moves that he has developed over the

course of two years here in Miami. Now that I think bodes well from Miami on the other side of the football, Andrew Van Ginkl had his best game against Colt Miller a year ago, and that would go a long way if both those guys can win those matchups to really swinging this thing back in the Dolphin's favor. In fact, this is where I really like Miami's entire matchup.

Their depth and ability to neutralize an offensive line that's been effective so far, but I think has some some possible cause for concerning the future with all the moving parts. Maybe the move is to dial up pressure. And if you can get pressure in a way that comes as a surprise to Derek Carr, that's gonna go a long way towards slowing this offense that's off to a really

hot start so far. But also Car had that ankle injury that I don't know if it's an injury because he's a full participant in Wednesday's Raiders practice, but if it just slows him a little bit, the extra pressure could go a long long way. And I also think that Jerome Baker's ability to get skinny and provide pressure

inside could really come into play big time here. And this is the continue to talk about how this matchup to me, I think if Miami can really exploit it, they can have a good chance to come out here with a victory because this is a bigger offensive line that's more prone to winning with gap control and size and strength and getting pushed. But then the other side to that is trying to slow their run game down. So it's a fascinating matchup in that regard, and that

brings us to our finals. Raiders offense first, Dolfin's defensive matchup here, and again this is where that size might kind of take away from the Raiders advantage because Josh Jacobs John Gruden called him very, very questionable in his Monday press conference, and Kenyan Drake would get the start in the event that he can't go. And I wrote Brandon Jacobs here in my notes on accident, but I had to correct it because their play styles are so similar.

But Drake, we know about him quick back, wants to search for the home run. He's patient to do that. He can hit the home run, but he also can give you some TFLs in that way as well. He also can contribute in the passing game. One thing I might like is the approach the Bills took last week too against US to blitz their running back and put him in peril, make Kenyan Drake make pass protection decisions, make him make tough decisions in the backfield. This running

game right now averages point one yards before contact. So if you can blitz that running game and shut that thing down, that's gonna go a long way. Because minimizing Drake with some tackles for loss and some run stops and putting him in conflict in the past rush plan, that's gonna go a long way towards keeping the scoreboard operator in Las Vegas board when the Raiders are on the field. And I think that's actually one of the other key matchups is and what makes Baker a key

player in this game his matchup on Kenyan Drake. Now, if Jacobs does go, then a land in Robert's role becomes much more significant. Maybe the Raiders stay away from those bigger you know, those bigger packages in terms of extra tight ends and backs and adapt more to Drake's strengths.

We will see about that. But again, regardless of who goes point one yards before contact per rush through two games, I like Christian Wilkins, Zack Seieler, and Adam Butler's opportunity to really get cranking in this game, coming off blocks, making plays the line, and controlling and taking over this football game from the word go. They need to do it now. As far as their offensive usage and final thoughts, how do Miami react when the Raiders do roll out

that third team personnel package. Typically you have to go with your base defense because you have to be able to handle the elements of the run that puts the linebackers in tough spots and coverage. So it's to pick your poison type of deal. But that's basically the NFL every single week, especially against explosive offenses like the one the Raiders have right now. Luckily, it's been just twenty two plays from that package, but they've hit the jackpot

on the passing aspect of it. So it might only be two or three plays a game, but two or three explosive plays a game makes the big difference. So third team personnel packages, vertical throws from those packages, keep an eye on that on Sunday, and no surprises here for their package deployment. Their primary is eleven personnel, one back, one tight end, three receivers. They have fifty plays from that package and the average eight point one eight yards

per play out of that package. It's gonna be crucial. Will shut that thing down. Twelve personnel thirty two plays seven point three yards per play. They're cooking, but they're even more versatile than that. They go two backs a lot because alec ing Old is a prominent fullback in this league. Personnel as twelve plays, two personnel with two tight ends and two backs is six team plays. So Miami has a lot to contend with, and they have

to be cleaning their substitutions. They have to have a lot of guys ready to play because Las Vegas has similar versatility on their offense that Miami has on their defense. But that's the upshot. Having the versatile defense is a big thing here. So my guests, and just to kind

of reiterate this is my guess. I think the Raiders we'll want to roll with those heavy tight end slash running back packages to force Miami to take their defensive backs off the field, because that's our best unit in terms in my opinion, and maybe you can counter that with more safeties like the big nickel looks and four safety packages. We talked about this having four good safeties that I've seen significant playing time this year. We saw the Patriots do that to Miami, get the defensive backs

off the field. The Bills did not do it because while their strength is their receivers and they're gonna play to their strengths. But the Raiders have good backs and tight ends up and down the roster, even if Josh Jacobs cannot go. As far as safety alignment, they average five point six three yards per play against single high that's eighty eight plays when you defend them with one safety deep and against two split safety's seven point seven six yards for players forty six plays. So just there,

they've been successful regardless. But in general, to me, it's a lot of give and take. On paper, some advantages their way, some advantages are a way on that side of the ball, But how about the other side of the ball. We know about one change with Miami's quarterbacks versus Las Vegas safeties. Jacoby Brissette will start this game, and I like his ability to play a close to the vest and protect the football style of game to

try to get Miami into the winner's circle. He threw one interception on Sunday, but he entered the season with the lowest i n T rate of any NFL quarterback ever with at least nine passing attempts. The Dolphins have

to get back in this game. It's crucial, absolutely crucial to get back to complementary football, and they have to be able to find some footing in the ground game because they need to extend drives, keep the defense fresh, and limit the Raiders offensive opportunities with all those explosive options. For Jacoby, I liked his work in the quick game. You know he was dealing with bodies in his face, dropping the arm, angle down and just finding a way, right.

That's like the key to playing backup quarterback. Find a way to get the ball around this oncoming rusher in the face and find a way to move the chains and find a way to win the football game. And also find a way to extend plays and make plays off script. Like think back to his ability to mitigate some of the pressure and that Bears preseason game. You need that to happen here with Jacoby to hopefully get some big plays outside of the structure of the offense.

But protect the football at all costs. Do not turn it over in this game. That's number one and the best way to do that is to stay ahead of the chains. Now, as for the Raiders safeties, a lot of inexperience in that group, as we had mentioned, But Jonathan Abram is a missile, and despite some ups and downs early in his career, I think he's played pretty well so far this season. He's a stick stick of dynamite.

That is, he'll hit you, but maybe you can get some explosive plays attacking the aggressiveness with some double move was or even something so much to what we saw in the Buffalo game that did not work. We saw a Wattle run the slot fade with Kasiki coming behind on the wheel. That's a concept every team has, the takeoff and the wheel behind. But to Ron Johnson, who had a hell of a game on Sunday, did a great job falling off his coverage and making the play

for that pick. Maybe you tried against a less experienced Raider's defense. Maybe I don't know. We'll see. Trayvon Marrigg's speed and range has to be accounted for the TCU or rookie out of TCU. Rather, if you think you have a deep ball, keep an eye on him because you might load that thing up and he closed the space and will bait you. He's a nice young player

in that way. Now, where I think Miami's best advantage on the side of the ball comes into play is our next grouping Miami's receivers and tight ends versus their cornerbacks are their cornerbacks. Yeah, I put LB on there for some reason, But we went in depth yesterday on the return of Will Fuller and what his inclusion into the offense could do to open things up some of the route combinations. With he and Waddle on the same side, like, you can really disguise a lot of the things that

you do. Be because of their interchangeability in terms of skill set and some of the pre snap motion and shifting. You can get them into stack into bunch, return motion, jet motion, running smash, which is an outside receiver run a little hitch route or something in breaking to kind of clear the deep corner part of the field, and then the inside receiver remember two, runs the flag route the corner route to take advantage of that space created

against his own coverage. Now against Cover three might not work so well, but that would then open up the underneath guy to have a matchup on a linebacker. I just don't think you can key on either of those guys in either of those instances, or if they're on opposite sides of the field, use their speed to stretch

this defense. Then what I mean by that is picture one guy running a takeoff on one side of the field, with the other guy on the opposite side of the field coming across on a drag or an over route to fill that vacated space left vacated by the takeoff route. And again either or for how you do this like Fuller takeoff, wattle crosser or vice versa, it doesn't matter

to me. And then from that there space for Park or in gisicky, and I really think Fuller when he's up to full speed, just changes this offensive look a lot. Like you know that. You've heard me talk about that all spring and summer now into the fall. As for the Raiders defensive backs, Casey Hayward is new and he

can play, and he's such a good player. He was an inside guy for a long long time, but he's almost strictly a perimeter cornerback now one hundred and four of his one and twenty one snaps this season, or as a wide corner. That's the guy the guy in

the unit. In fact, he has not allowed to catch this season and he's only been targeted five times, which is you know, partly him locking guys up and being damn good, but it's also not being targeted by the opposing offense to just avoid him because that's the one guy you don't want to go after in that defense. He's also got two pass breakups on the five targets. We have to a great start for the Raiders in his Raider career. Elsewhere, tray Von Mullen and Damon Arnett

are very similar players stylistically. They're big, physical, imposing corners who played a lot of zone turn in college, and Mullin plays a lot our Nett has been a sub

package player so far. Uh Nate Hobbs was actually their second leading snaptaker last week at cornerback, and he's an interesting player to come back to him and just one second Mulin matched up with Claypool well, but Deonte Johnson and Juju Smith Schuster got him and those guys, you know, stylistically, Waddle and Fuller are more like those guys opposed to Claypool, who's more like Parker. You know, something to consider as

far as the matchups you want to draw for yourself. Now, Nate Hobbs is a fifth round draft pick this April. He's six ft. He was targeted seven times and allowed seven catches last year, but for just forty four yards, so good tackling at least. And if you pull up the Draft Networks scouting profile and you know that that coverage stat you have to take into account the defense they play because Cover three bail get out, that's gonna

allow for underneath catches. That's where Miami can eat though. Man, that's that's a possible matchup to look at. And you can pull Draft Network scouting profile up and they have Hobbs as a scheme. Fit was a Cover three bail technique heavy scheme. That's exactly what Gus Bradley runs Cover three with almost no blitzing. So we can talk about these matchups. So we're blue in the face, but you're really primarily going to get zone with a three deep shell.

And in fact, they they're aligning in single high of the time, with too high a quarter of the time, and they're in zone. You know, primarily Cover three looks more than seventy of the time, So you know what you're gonna get, and if they do, go into the bail technique and play that umbrella man, those quick hitters finding those windows. And then from there where Baltimore and Pittsburgh had so much success was going after those linebackers.

And that brings us to our next matchup, Dolphins running backs versus Vegas linebackers, and another key matchup in this game because Corey Littleton and Denzel Perriman are both seventy plus percent snaptakers in this defense and k J. Wright played roughly last week. Nick Kwittakowski missed the game last week, but he played just sixteen snaps in the openers. So those top three guys we talked about are your primary linebackers.

What does that tell you? Very few sub packages they'll keep linebackers on the field when you go ten personnel, when you go eleven with Mike Gisicki, and those linebackers play the run or go backwards. They just do not blitz. It's not in their DNA. They want to play coverage, primarily zone, and they want to try to win with a four man pass rush, and it's been working. We'll talk about that here in just one second. But what becomes so crucial in this aspect. Play action. Baby. Here

are the passing numbers on Las Vegas linebackers. Perraman seven completions on ten targets for fifty seven yards. Corey Littleton

seven completions on seven targets for sixty nine yards. So they are fourteen for seventeen for a I don't know math very well about a hundred and twenty yards, but to get to that, you have to get them thinking about multidimensional offense, run, run, game pass, game play pass, because both of them can really play downhill, particularly Peraman, he's one of the very best B gap to B gap bangers and all the land, and Little ten's a little more at depth at getting depth, but they're going

to read keys, and if you can keep them guessing and get false steps, man, you can stay in that rhythm and have success. We talked about needed to stay ahead of the chains and ultimately have offensive success. As far as the total play action numbers against Vegas this year, fourteen for twenty a buck eighty three, and the Ravens really got to it, with the bulk of that work coming off their strong play pass games. We'll go back to that tape and see how you attack these linebackers.

But it's a good time to see what Miles and Savon in the passing game can do, because when those cornerbacks get out and they bail, that can create some openings in the flats, but also bend things back inside with the Texas route, the arrow route, the angle route, the seam route, the hook up, whatever you wanna call it. Over the middle, I would pump the ball to the backs because remember remember that play Miles made in the game last year, the fifty something you are touchdown reception.

That's that's what you want to do to this defense. Get to him quick, get him in space. And this Raiders second level, they're more thumpers than speed. It's one of the slowest linebacker groups out there. Try and take advantage of that. Then that brings us to where the Raiders defense has been flying this season, their pass rush, their front against Miami's offensive line. You have to neutralize it.

And again, how do you do that well? Both the stud rushers for this are two pound ends who rely upon getting their pressure just based on defensive philosophy, and you can run at them to try to peel that back a little bit. That's gotta be the best way to neutralize them, especially with our big dudes, especially the big dudes at the guard position up front. Now Crosby and and Gockway have really taken the raider's pass rush level to another level. You must control those two to

compete against the defense. Crosby right now playing out of his mind. He's made a bunch of plays early in his career through effort, but now he's just straight up deconstructing blocks and winning. I think that pairs very well with and gock Way off the other side, who just has so much speed to contend with like that first step might have to be back because he can put you in peril immediately. He's got nine pressures of his own through two games, and Crosby has nineteen. Wow, what

a crazy number, wow, Owen Wilson. Then on the interior, Solomon Thomas, Quentin Jefferson, Darius File on Jonathan Hankins. That's a very nice DT rotation that can help keep those guys fresh but also free up the linebackers in the run game. And then Carl Nassa a nice change up rusher for them. He's got four pressures of his own on twenty seven pass rush reps. He's a sturdy run defender as well. But it's back to Crosby and Gockway.

Maybe you help on Crosby, and depending on Gockway's matchup, you just have to be ready to get vertical against his speed rush and know that he wants to redirection and come back underneath you. But I would try to find help on both those guys as much as you can, regardless of the lineup, and again the interior in this game, we'll see who it is out there in the field.

But I would just run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, get wide, stretch him out, go after those ends and try to get some bodies in space, whether it's Rob Hunt, whether it's Solomon Kinley, Michael Dieter. Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. Special teams for these two squads uh D v o A ranks the Raiders or fourteen. Miami is nineteenth currently. That will get better. I'm sure they're Punter A J. Cole absolutely booms the football sometimes beyond the coverage. He's averaging

fifty point six yards per punt this year. That might be an opportunity for Jachem Grant or Jalen Waddle to make some big returns and help Miami win the hidden yard battle because with QB one down, that's how you win football games. And then kicking wise, Daniel Carson Carlson is six for six, including four makes in the nine range and one from beyond fifties. So three keys to the game. Here are your three keys to the game. You probably know they are getting the running backs going,

both in the running game and the passing game. Miles and Savan, this is your guys game to go shine in Las Vegas. Number two make Derek Carr uncomfortable. One beat late on reads and throws can cause some trepidation, can cause some picks, possibly some sacks and some negative yardage. They have to slow this passing offense down and it goes through Derek Carr and Number three win the hidden

yards battle. Penalties are so crucial in a game like this, kicking game when you're make every kick, have good execution on the holds and the snaps and all that good stuff, and also cover well and return well. Miami has to do well in that area. The Dolphins will win this game if they run the ball and get the ball to the backs. In the passing game, there by negetting their to edge presences, which are two lynch pins of

this defense. Without those two guys, this defense has a lot of ground to make up their thin at corner, they're young at safety. Slowing and Gockway at Crosby will allow you to attack those vulnerabilities. The Raiders will win if they can keep Miami in third and long and Derek Carr has time to survey the field and stay

explosive offensively. That's gonna do it. For this preview edition of the Drivetime Podcast, we have John Conjemmi and your Mail Bad Questions coming up tomorrow, as well as Football Friday, picking the NFL games and the three Pack of college games and your Prospect Guide. But in the meantime, Caroline, Daddy is coming home. Even though you threw up on yourself in the car this morning and made us late by about a half hour, I still love you you all.

Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast. Leave us a rating, leave us a review. You can follow me on Twitter at Wingfield NFL, follow the team at Miami Dolphins. Check out the Fish Tank Podcast with Set and o J. They had Anthony Harris on the podcast this week another great episode. Go to the YouTube channel for all of our media availabilities and of course Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time, Fins Up six