Who’s hot, who’s not after the Dolphins’ win vs. Raiders
The Dolphins’ top offseason acquisitions from the past two years led the team to a 20-13 win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Here’s a look at who’s hot — and who’s not — after Miami’s victory.
Who’s hot
▪ Cornerback Jalen Ramsey: Two days before he helped seal the Dolphins’ win, Ramsey told reporters that he was still in “training camp” mode just one month removed from returning to practice after meniscus surgery. Ramsey then recorded two interceptions with a high degree of difficulty, including his leaping pick in the end zone to end Las Vegas’ comeback bid. Ramsey now has three interceptions in three games.
Ramsey has been a lockdown corner since his return, helping take the Dolphins’ defense to new heights in recent weeks. But he has also been a takeaway magnet for a unit that ranked toward the bottom of the NFL in that category. Miami has seven interceptions this season, and three have come from Ramsey since he made his debut in Week 8.
▪ Wide receiver Tyreek Hill: The All-Pro pass-catcher gave the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium a brief scare when he headed into the locker room with a hand injury in the second quarter. But he returned for the Dolphins’ final possession of the first half and was the most dominant offensive player on the field. Hill’s game-high 146 receiving yards gave him the most receiving yards by an NFL player through the first 10 games of his team’s season (1,222). It was the sixth time Hill eclipsed 100 receiving yards this season, and his nine touchdown catches lead the league. He’s on pace for 2,077 yards, which would be a single-season receiving record and the league’s first 2,000-yard season.
Who’s not
▪ Ball security: If not for the defense’s three takeaways in the second half, Sunday would have marked the seventh time this season the Dolphins have lost the turnover battle. It hasn’t hurt them mightily against subpar competition — the team is 5-1 when posting a turnover margin — but it almost did on Sunday as the offense struggled to put points on the board. Miami has 16 turnovers this season, tied for the 10th most in the NFL.
▪ Short-yardage offense: The Dolphins totaled more than 400 yards for the fifth time this season but scored only 20 points, failing to pass 20 for the third time in the last four games. Turnovers played a role in that on Sunday but so did situational offense, particularly in short-yardage situations. Miami was 1 for 3 on third down and fourth down with 3 or fewer yards to gain a first. It was an issue last season when the Dolphins ranked 32nd in third-and-short conversion percentage. Miami is 27th in converting third-and-short situations this season.
