The Black Jersey wearing Oakland Raiders came to Miami for the seasons week three matchup. Real feel temperatures were stifling in the triple digits, and one would figure that the visitors would eventually wilt.
The heart and soul of the Dolphin defense in Safety Rashad Jones would be ruled in-active for this weeks game.
Perhaps the hardest working coach turned commentator, turned coach John "Coach" Gruden worked his but off this past week in preperation for Miami's Dolphins.
Miami won the coin toss and diverted.
Oakland took the opening possession 75 yards in four plays with two of those plays going to ex-Packer receiver Jordy Nelson. On the games second play from the vistors 25 QB Derek Carr hit a wide-open Nelson in stride for 61 yards through the area of what is usually the responsibility of the in-active Rashad Jones. Two plays later Nelson finished the deal with a 12 yard touchdown reception and 7 - 0 visitors lead.
The home team went 3/Out on four yards from their own 29, but with a great punt, coverage, and aid of a Raider penalty, Miami pinned the visitors back to their own 5 yard line. Any "Coach" will tell'ya keep doin what you're doin until they can stop'ya, and 6 plays later from the visitors 26 Carr hit another wide-open Jordy Nelson for 66 yards to the Dolphin 8 yard line.
Miami's Defense held on a 4th/Goal from the one. However. Jordy Nelson (alone) had piled up 139 recieving yards and a touchdown in two possessions before the Dolphins had gained 5 yards. "Keep doin what you're doin until they can stop'ya". Nelson caught 3 balls for 34 yards on the days remainder.
The home team moved out from under their goal-post to the 31 on seven plays and Haack'ed a punt of 28 yards to the visitors 41 yard line. Carr immediately procedded to toss a hail mary into triple coverage that Miami CB Xavian Howard intercepted at the four and returned 39 yards to the Dolphin 43.
A Miami 3/Out was followed by an Oakland 3/Out though the Dolphins lost DE/DT William Hayes to injury 45 seconds into the 2nd quarter on his 3rd & 3 sack of Carr. The Dolphins began the day with a 9 man Defensive-Line rotation, and the loss of Hayes was almost immediately felt. From here on out, Head Coach extraordinaire turned Commmentator Bruce Arians suggested that the Miami DL was "gassed", and he wasn't lying.
The exchange of punts left the Dolphins at the Raiders 35 yard line. Gore got nadda, then one yard on second down while a 3rd down incompletion was a do-over for off-setting penalties. On 3rd/9 Ryan Tannehill dropped a 52 yard (through the air) lolli-pop over the shoulder of a well covered Kenny Stills at the extreme back-end of the endzone for the 34 yard Miami TOUCHDOWN to even the score with SEVENS.
Oakland then received the ball at their 25. Four plays follow and from the Raiders 41 Cam Wake sacks Carr on 3rd/6, but wait, Dolphin DT starter Akeem Spence is penalized & ejected for a man on man unsportmanlike altercation which nullifies Miami's defensive stop.
The home teams nine man DL rotation is now down to 7 (four minutes into the second quater), and Marshawn "Beast-Mode" Lynch along with the Raiders Big, Nasty, Talented OL seems to be having their way as the pre-game wilting scenario has taken a turn for the worse as far as the home team fans are concerned.
The visitors march down to the Miami 7 yard line for a 1st/Goal opportunity. For the days second time the Dolphins D rises to the occassion and this time forces a 25 yard field goal to stay within 3 points.
Miami replied with a nice drive from 25 to 25 for an end of half tying field goal possibility but the refs called a few ghostly penalties on them which led to a sack on a play that should have never came to be (if not for the erroneous calls via the guys in stripes) that pushed the Dolphins out of game tying range. Head Coach turned Commentator Bruce Arians suggested time and again throughout the game that "Gruden had great influence over the refs and that he was in their head". The first half ended with the home team trailing 10 - 7.
The Dolphins open the 3rd quarter with a 3 & Out. Oakland responds with a 15 play, nearly 10 minute, 67 yard touchdown drive capped off by a one yard Beast Mode leap over the "gassed" Miami DL. Seems as though that Lynch has run for a thousand today while the Raiders bull their way to a 17 - 7 late third quarter lead. PS. DE Andre Branch went down with knee injury during this previous visiting team TD drive, and the Dolphins 9 man DL rotation for this game is down to 6 with 21-plus game minutes remaining.
Holdup there Ye'Of'Little'Faith, things are about to get interestingly exciting as Adam Gase decides to open up the playbook. Miami takes possession at their own 30. The Dolphin QB named Ryan Tannehill (who as starter with Gase at the helm has now won 10 of his last 11 games played) hits Amendola for 15, then drops another 46 yard (through the air pass) over the shoulder, down the sidelines and into the bucket of first time activated DeVante Parker for a 36 yard gain to the Oakland 19. A play later he flicks a one half yard shovel pass to end-around Jakeem Grant who's blazing speed takes it the remaining 19 yards of the (4 play, 70 yard series) for a Miami TOUCHDOWN to pull within 17 - 14 with 55 third quarter ticks to go.
A Raider, Dolphin, and another Raider punts gives Miami the ball at their own 30 yard line with just one half of the 4th quarter remaining and the home team trailing 17 - 14. Tannehill scrambles for 18. Then on a play from Miami's 48 that appeared to be similar to the planets revolving around Gase' prodigal son/sun. Gore lines up at FB with Grant deep in the backfield, Gore moving to the left drifts across the face of THill for a handoff while wideout left Albert Wilson and Grant cautiously gravitate right, Gore pitches the ball to Wilson who glides around behind the solar eclipsing/blocking QB while the tiny planet Grant streaks into unchartered territories all by his lonesome to recieve Albert Wilson's 27 yard (through the air) pass and takes it to Da'House for the 52 yard first Miami lead of the day 21 - 17 Dolphin TOUCHDOWN.
Oakland then proceeds 77 yards from their own 10 to the Dolphins 13 in four-plus minutes on nine plays before Miami CB extrodinaire X Howard takes away possession for his second of the day on an unbelievable back of the EZ interception.
Frank Gore runs for 6 yards from the Miami 20, and on 2nd/4 Albert Wilson again streaks left across the face of Adam's sun for a one half yard shovel pass that turns into an untouchable 74 yard shooting star to wish upon for another Dolphin TOUCHDOWN and lead extension of 28 - 17.
Jakeem Grant from the fields extreme right ran gradually left across the field stride for stride with Wilson almost as if it were a race, and when they converged at the Raiders 20 they high-fived their way into he EndZone side by side, GREAT-STUFF!!!
TWENTY ONE unanswered Miami Dolphin points before the Raiders score their meaningless end of game field goal to pull within 28 - 20. Miami recovers the on-sides kick, and for a third consecutive week they hold the final possession for the W in VICTORY FORMATION!!!
The Miami Dolphins outlasted the Titans in the leagues longest game in history, they outplayed the Jets in NY, and now (in what became a game against all odds), those of Aqua & Orange have "outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted" the Raiders!!!
These Dolphins of Miami are SURVIVORS, and to win how they've won in 2018 they are far beyond average!!!
YEAAAA BABY 3 - 0 with a two game lead on the entire division, and sole possession of first place after three games for the first time since 1998 when a guy named Danny was who the universe revolved around!!!
Yeee Haaa, GIGGITTY, GOFINS!!!
