Dolphins And Raiders Will Deal With Unresolved Issues When They Collide At Wembley
By Abraham Gutierrez
As Miami and Oakland arrive in London, England, for this week’s international edition of the NFL on CBS, there are a number of headlines and underlining subplots for this Week 4 showdown. For the Dolphins, the defensive unit is “beyond furious” with the defensive scheme employed by defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle in last week’s loss to the Chiefs, while injuries to the Silver and Black’s linebackers continues to be the narrative for the winless Raiders.
After a hot start, the (1-2) Miami Dolphins are tied for last place in the AFC East, and for all intents and purposes, the win over the Patriots now seems like a distant memory. Following back-to-back blowout losses to the Bills and Chiefs, things appear to be heating up in the Fins locker room, especially after Miami’s “D” surrendered 34 points to an extremely short-handed Chiefs squad.
“We talked about it tonight,” Joe Philbin said about the possibility of losing his grip on this squad. “We’ve got to determine what we’re going to do. We’ve got to back to work, we’ve got to go across the Atlantic Ocean, and we’re going to have to play a lot better. We’re not playing well enough over the last two weeks to win a football game in the National Football League. It’s hard to say, but that’s the facts.”
Even with perennial Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles on the shelf, the Dolphins managed to allow a whopping 174 rushing yards on 41 carries. Through the air, Kansas City’s Alex Smith was surgical, connecting on 76 percent of his pass attempts (19-for-25) for 186 yards and three scores for an eye-popping quarterback rating of 136.0.
“I mean, it’s tough,” added linebacker Jelani Jenkins after recording a game-high 14 tackles last Sunday. “We just have to make the adjustments.”
In the case of the (0-3) Oakland Raiders, this team also finds itself at the cellar of the (AFC West) division, as it made its way across the pond. For head coach Dennis Allen, injuries will once again play a role this week, as they face a Dolphins’ team determined to get back in the win column.
In particular, the Raiders will be very thin at the linebacker position, which could open things up for Miami’s running game. This week, it was reported that linebacker Miles Burris – who has played every snap this season in place of injured middle linebacker Nick Roach – was seen wearing a protective boot.
In addition to Burris’ injury, outside linebacker Sio Moore did not play in Sunday’s loss to New England due to an injured ankle. Thus, Burris and fellow backup Kaluka Maiava were promoted to the starting slots at their positions. If things remain the same in Week 4, the Raiders remaining linebackers are undrafted rookies Bojay Filimoeatu and Spencer Hadley – who’s currently part of the team’s practice squad.
Opening kickoff for Sunday’s game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern Time from Wembley Stadium in London, England, and it will be broadcast live on CBS Sports (Miami CBS4). According to NFL odds for Week 4, the Miami Dolphins come into this game listed as four-point favorites over the Oakland Raiders, and the Over/Under tallies 41 points in this one.
For more Dolphins news and updates, visit Dolphins Central.
Abe Gutierrez is a criminal justice admin whose love for sports led him to become a writer and editor. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com and its partners. His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
