Oakland Raiders: 5 matchups to watch vs. Miami Dolphins
By John Buhler
Bruce Irvin is celebrating a birthday this week. He has come on in recent weeks for the Raiders after a slow start out on the edge. Irvin could have one of his best games of the season versus the Dolphins on Sunday night. He will be matched up against former first-round pick Laremy Tunsil.
Tunsil fell to the Dolphins in the middle of the first-round in the 2016 NFL Draft after the gas mask video from when he was at Ole Miss surfaced on the internet. While Tunsil projected as a top-five pick after his junior year in Oxford, he hasn’t been up to par in the NFL.
He has been an average left guard in the league, but a below average left tackle in his first two years in the NFL. No, it does not help that the Dolphins have been one of the worst offensive lines in football the last two years. Having center Mike Pouncey constantly hurt doesn’t help this front-five establish stability. Then there’s that whole Chris Foerster incident.
If Irvin plays with great energy and takes advantage of an unsure Tunsil on the left side of the Dolphins’ offensive line, Irvin could garner a sack or two in primetime. Being that he is an emotional player, a great game for Irvin could positively impact the Raiders’ defense in a huge must-win game.