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Week 16: Miami Dolphins (9-5) @ Las Vegas Raiders (7-7) on Saturday Night


TheKillerNacho

MIA @ LV  

8 members have voted

  1. 1. Who wins?

    • Miami Dolphins
    • Las Vegas Raiders
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  • Poll closed on 12/27/2020 at 03:02 AM

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Just a few weeks ago, this game was looking to be a potential play-off game between two teams heavily contending for a wildcard spot. Since then, however, the Raiders have collapsed, nearly losing to the winless Jets followed by some brutal defeats. At one point in the season they were 6-3 and looking at the easiest schedule remaining in the NFL. Since then, they've lost four of five (would've been five for five if not for Gregg Williams) and require a miracle to make the playoffs.

This game, however, is huge for Miami. Miami needs to win out in order to make the post-season, as even just one loss will allow the Ravens, who play two joke teams as their final two games - to take the 7th wildcard spot. Winning, however, keeps the Ravens at bay and potentially opens the door to taking the Colts' or Browns' wildcard spots if they end up losing out. But playoffstatus.com really does make the point clear - lose this game and our chance to make the playoffs drops to just 9%. We need both of these games or our chances become a mere 33%.

The Raiders are free-falling and morale is probably destroyed. Still, they could come out wanting to prove that they are not as bad as their collapse suggests. Josh Jacobs presents a very real problem to our poor interior run defense, and he may be able to carve us up for the majority of the night. Derek Carr has had a tremendous season but we should be able to challenge him with our elite secondary. Carr, however, has been sidelined with a serious groin injury so it's a possibility we'll be facing Marcus Mariota, instead. Mariota's mobility would actually serve to be a somewhat significant threat considering our struggles with scrambling QBs this season, but offers much less as a passer than Carr.

Offensively, the Raiders have been so bad they fired their defensive coordinator following their 44-27 loss to the Colts. This always presents a tricky situation as it is unknown just how much the new coordinator will switch things up as his first game was on a short week. Rod Marinelli is an experienced coach in this league and he will do everything to get pressure on Tua. Unfortunately for the Raiders, the defensive talent just isn't there. Assuming we get some of our key playmakers back (Parker, Grant, Gesicki, Gaskin), we should have no issues moving the ball.

Overall this is a game I feel good about but we can't afford to look past the Raiders. They are definitely capable of some big plays on both sides of the ball. We must deny them playing spoiler to us to give us a chance in Week 17.

My prediction?

Dolphins 33

Raiders 26

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You definitely don't want to discount the Raiders a lot of weapons just can't seem to put it together. Tua has been superb but you never know when that bill might come due for a rookie. I don't think this team is looking past anyone, Coach Flo will have them focused. Hopefully we get some receivers back this week. Waller is the player that concerns me most, but this defense is legit. 

My main critique: perhaps if they are going to call a trick play, just maybe for once, consider for the love of all that is holy, have the "receiver" report as eligible. please, just once. 

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33 minutes ago, TheKillerNacho said:

Not a great start. Let's hope for a great finish.

I feel like the Raiders could put us away but they get in their own way. They're throwing wayyyy too much. Jacobs should be obliterating us, but they refuse to run him as much as they should. And why they throw to anyone not named Waller idk. 

Also I think we hold open tryouts tomorrow for WR. I mean absolutely no one is getting open. Hollins has made two spectacular catches this season, but other than that seems to offer nothing but bad drops. 

Ford has like one catch i think? 

Grant finally starting catching the ball but that knee injury looked awful. 

LBJ seems to be our only legit threat but he's not going to stretch the field the way we need to. 

So all they have to do is keep Gesicki covered, and not let LBJ get YAC. Hollins isn't going to catch the ball. Ford isn't seeing targets, so he probably isn't getting open. This is probably the worst WR corps Tua has had since high school. 

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3 minutes ago, JourneymanQB13 said:

I feel like the Raiders could put us away but they get in their own way. They're throwing wayyyy too much. Jacobs should be obliterating us, but they refuse to run him as much as they should. And why they throw to anyone not named Waller idk. 

Also I think we hold open tryouts tomorrow for WR. I mean absolutely no one is getting open. Hollins has made two spectacular catches this season, but other than that seems to offer nothing but bad drops. 

Ford has like one catch i think? 

Grant finally starting catching the ball but that knee injury looked awful. 

LBJ seems to be our only legit threat but he's not going to stretch the field the way we need to. 

So all they have to do is keep Gesicki covered, and not let LBJ get YAC. Hollins isn't going to catch the ball. Ford isn't seeing targets, so he probably isn't getting open. This is probably the worst WR corps Tua has had since high school. 

Gesicki clearly isn't 100%. We really need to put Shaheen in there.

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