Sunday NFL Picks: Miami Dolphins at Oakland Raiders
By Erik Lambert
Sep 21, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen looks on during the final moments of their 16-9 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
It may not draw top billing but the week 4 NFL showdown between the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins is hugely important for both teams.
Subplots
Dennis Allen and Joe Philbin losing their grips on jobs
With the Raiders sitting at 0-3 and the Dolphins fading at 1-2, there is no reason for either head coach Dennis Allen nor Joe Philbin to feel safe. Neither has made the playoffs in his tenure and both are in their third year with their respective teams. Each has to know their job security becomes more and more dicey with each loss. Allen is probably feeling the heat more at this point having not won a game since November 17th of 2013. He needs a win in the worst way, but so does Philbin who appears to be losing his grip on his team.
Key Matchup
Nick Roach against Lamar Miller
Surprisingly despite injuries and lacking production from their pass rush it hasn’t been the Oakland Raiders pass defense that has killed them, it’s been stopping the run. In three games they have allowed an average of 158 yards rushing. They can’t hope to stop anybody with that kind of poor tackling and gap control. That won’t change against Miami where Lamarr Miller has seamlessly stepped into the starting role after the injury to Knowshon Moreno and is averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Middle linebacker Nick Roach has to lead the charge set the tone early and keep Miami from playing balanced. Otherwise the trend will continue.
Quick Stats of Interest
The Raiders have not scored more than 14 points this season
Miami boasts the 8th overall defense in the league
Oakland has just four sacks on the season
The Dolphins have allowed nine
Pick: MIA 23, OAK 20
At the end of the day the Miami Dolphins are a better team than the Raiders and have shown they can win. It’s just a question of playing smarter and with more urgency. Oakland will put up a fight but they don’t yet have the offensive explosiveness to start winning games late.