Oh what a difference a year makes.
Last year, Oakland travelled to Miami, at 1-2, and looked to make a statement. They had former Dolphin, Daunte Culpepper, and were looking to get back to .500 for the first time in a while.
As fate would have it, Oakland won, but lost their leading rusher. According to the scoreboard, the Raiders were victorious, but they lost Lamont Jordan to injury. Justin Fargas, however, would go on to have a career day, in only half a game, racking up 179 yards, on 22 carries.
Oakland would go on to a 4-12 record, while Miami would have to wait until an overtime game against the Baltimore Ravens to finally win, and finish 1-15....and with it, get Jake Long as the overall number one pick.
Fast forward, to this season.
Oakland, is 2-7. They have lost a number of players to injury, and a few of the walking wounded were supposed to be key players on a resurgent team hoping to break the jinx for Oakland.
JaMarcus Russell, Justin Fargas, Javon Walker, Darren McFadden, have all missed games. Drew Carter, Justin Griffith, Oren O'Neal, Arman Shields, and others are on the IR, gone either before the season, or early enough to be missed.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Miami, meanwhile, has had the bounce they needed. They started out 0-2, and then 2-4, but then ran off 3 wins, and presently sit at 5-4. Miami, for it's history, is hoping to continue it's upswing, but has a few things against them.
First of all, Chad Pennington is starting behind center. Chad hasn't exactly played solid ball against the silver in black, and was known for his two losses in 2002, with one coming in the playoffs.
All together, Chad's 2-3 against Oakland in his career, and his first game wasn't really his fault. He was put in for spot duty, and even tossed a TD, the team's only points in a 2000 matchup won by Oakland.
Meanwhile, other aspects of the Dolphins continue to show improvement. Joey Porter is doing his usual task, ripping his opponents in the media, but mostly does his best work getting between his opponent's ears....annoying to no end.
And of course, Ronnie Brown, last year's bright spot before going down injured, has shown resolve, with 9 touchdowns so far.
Oakland? The team has had 9 TDs, total...6 via the air, and 3 on the ground.
Does Oakland stand a chance in this game?
It's possible. Oakland last week, was supposed to be blown out of the water by the Panthers, but managed only 17 points. Seven came off a turnover and seven from a long breakaway run. Oakland managed to get Jake Delhomme to throw four interceptions in that period.
What will decide the game is going to be the play of the quarterback. Walter didn't look bad last week, but then again, it was his first activity in almost a year. If he finds his timing, he could surprise a few people.
Lastly, how will Oakland work against Joey Porter?
Hopefully the line can keep him in check, with an extra person. Otherwise, it's going to be a long day for the Raider fans in Miami.
Oakland 14, Miami 10(if Pennington throws 2 INTs)
Miami 21, Oakland 9(if Walter gets shut out of the end zone again)
comments (21) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
Finfan,
One could argue that the real idiot is someone who goes out of their way to insult a fellow football fan anonymously over the internet. Grow up.
Anyways, as a lifetime Dolphins fan, I have to say that I am not confident about this game. The Dolphins offense is still not as capable as I would like, and the Raider defense is better than it looks on paper. If our offense plays like it did against Seattle, and the Raider defense plays like it did against Carolina, then we could have a painful game on our hands.
I guess last season has made me hesitant to have any optimism about my team. 6-4 just sounds too good to be true.
about 1 month ago
wow Steve....
about 1 month ago
Go Fish..... Raiders will always blow!!!!!!!!!!
from about 1 month ago
Dustin, would you like the recap, or the full story?
When was the last time the Dolphins won the Super Bowl, 1973?
Better yet, how many wins did you have last year, in your awesome memory skills?
And don't forget how many super bowl rings Dan Marino has.....zilch.
If you're one of these fans that comes along for one year, then fades out because his team comes apart....reality won't be kind.
about 1 month ago
GOOD article but yea finfan relax man, he's just doing scenarios
about 1 month ago
I definitely don't agree with everything you said Raider Card, I really don't like the way this is written, that's just my honest opinion and to an extent a agree with Finfan. But seriously guys, is it worth arguing? Just let the guy state his opinion, I mean sometimes things like this are right even when you don't think so. I told everyone at the start of this year the Giants would be the best team in the NFC East assuming Eli continued to produce, he has and they are. So yes there are different scenarios guys, let the guy state his analysis, sheesh.
from about 1 month ago
TJ, thats fine, my writing is not for everyone. I will say I am in college right now, and working on a communications degree, to hopefully improve tihngs a bit. It's better to light a single candle than curse the darkness, correct?
about 1 month ago
Yeah, I mean it's not that it's a bad article, I just don't like the philosophy and reasoning in it.
Really though, nothing against you.
about 1 month ago
Russell is likely to start Sunday.
Also...why is this the top article on the Dolphins' section? Who decides this?
from about 1 month ago
Not Sure, Chris. I noticed that if you flag an article to two sections, it goes into the database alphabetically. Either that, or it's become a popular article, and everyone wants to read it.
Little newsflash...McFadden has been cleared for takeoff, too.
about 1 month ago
Raidersteve,
You may want to be careful, or you could get arrested. If I was a mod for the Bleacher Report, I'd have the police track your IP for your comment to Finfan. Threatening death over a sports team lumps you in with the lowest common denominator of humanity.
Also, there's a reason that, in nature, sharks rarely attack dolphins: because sharks know that the dolphin will kill them. Educate yourself, please. Serious Dolphin fans and serious Raider fans are all taking this game... er, seriously.
from about 1 month ago
Mea culpa...
about 1 month ago
Great article. Good luck to you guys this week.
from about 1 month ago
Don't give them good luck Paul! No, don't go over to the dark side.
from about 1 month ago
haha, sorry 'bout that T.J.
about 1 month ago
I've been posting on this site for over a year now Suso. I started out as anonymous. Then became Raidersteve. I might just become SusoKILLA. I might just become SusoISgay. Or I might just become SusoLIKESpenises.
about 1 month ago
Pretty good article. You bring up some good points about both teams.
As far has Pennington's history against Oakland, I don't think that plays much into this game. The pre-2002 Raiders are a MUCH different team than the one Al Davis has been fielding the last six years.
Oh, and if you make a score prediction, I would go with just one.
from about 1 month ago
fair enough....although, with the changes like McFadden coming around, Walker going on the shelf, and Russell throwing, could lead into a revision.
I'll make it creative, 21-20 Oakland.
from about 1 month ago
Point well taken. I hope they get it turned around. The Raiders have long been a powerhouse in the NFL, and I think it would be good for the league if they returned to that status.
about 1 month ago
I look at it like this. This is the Dolphins rebuild year and they are looking good. Not as good as I would like to see, but are looking good. Ronnie Brown is amazing and Ricky Williams is back. Maybe another Duper and Clayton. I think the Dolphins will win 20-14
about 1 month ago
After watching this game for 2 minutes, I had a feeling things wouldn't go good when I saw who was officiating...Hochuli.
write a new comment