Raiders ‘just going to keep going’ after loss to Dolphins

MIAMI GARDENS- The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite the shakeups on the offensive coaching staff, the Raiders (2-8) fell to the Miami Dolphins 34-19 at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The Raiders have now lost their sixth game in a row, as the outlook on this season continues to get bleaker.

That said, the Raiders will continue to push for improvement. “I think it’s just the caliber of person we have,” said quarterback Gardner Minshew. “We got guys that are just going to keep going, no matter what’s happening.



Backs against the wall, odds against, we’re just going to keep stepping in there and shooting away.” Here are three takeaways from the Raiders’ loss: Offense hit-or-miss There were going to be some differences on the Raiders’ offense with interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner running the show. as well as some growing pains attached.

The Raiders did show some promise in the first half despite only having two possessions, but they ultimately settled for field goals in the red zone both times. They would get two touchdowns in the second half to try and keep pace with the Dolphins, but a stalled drive to start the third quarter and a costly interception from Minshew in the fourth quarter would ultimately seal the game in favor of Miami. Minshew would finish the game by completing 30 of 43 passes for 282 yards, two touchdowns, and the lone interception.

“We didn’t have a lot of possessions,” said Minshew, “Felt like we were fishing with the ones we did get. Obviously, still got to work on the red zone and do better there. Felt great taking care of the ball, obviously until the second-to-last drive, that was frustrating.

” Defensive struggles While the Raiders offense did what they could, they received no help from their counterparts on defense. The Dolphins were efficient on offense as the Raiders could do little to stop them and until the fourth quarter, all but one Dolphins possession continued for at least 14 plays. The Dolphins went eight-for-12 on third down and scored three out of four times when they reached the red zone.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 28-0f-36 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Jonnu Smith had six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns, while wide receiver Tyreek Hill had seven receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. Running back De’Von Achane would do damage on the ground, logging 17 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown.

One of the more glaring mistakes on the day from the Raiders came in the fourth quarter as they tried to hold the Dolphins to a one-possession lead. Tagovailoa noticed a blown coverage by the Raiders and found Smith deep down the field, leading to his second touchdown on the day and effectively putting the game out of reach. “Third downs, penalties on critical situations there,” said head coach Antonio Pierce.

“We had two third-down penalties where we probably had an opportunity to get off the field that led to scoring drives, as well, and there was miscommunication on the deep ball.” Bowers’s big day While the loss adds to the continued agony of this season, rookie tight end Brock Bowers continued to be a bright spot. Bowers was Minshew’s favorite and best target all day, with his thirteen receptions being nine more than the next closest Raider (wide receiver Jakobi Meyers had four).

Bowers would make the most of his opportunities, putting up 126 receiving yards and a touchdown. The thirteen catches by Bowers is the most by a rookie tight end in a single game in NFL history, breaking Mark Bavaro’s record of 12 with the New York Giants on Oct. 13, 1985.

Bowers is also just the second tight end in NFL history to have multiple games with double-digit receptions in a rookie season (Sam LaPorta, 2023). “We’re trying to do everything we can to feature our best player,” said Pierce. “He’s tough, he’s physical, doesn’t want to come out of the game, he’s staying in the running game.

I mean, he’s doing everything we’re asking him to do as a rookie.” This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission..