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Oakland Raiders: 5 keys to victory vs. Miami Dolphins

By John Buhler

ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 29: DeAndre Washington No. 33 of the Oakland Raiders runs the ball as Kyle Williams No. 95 of the Buffalo Bills attempts to tackle him during the third quarter of an NFL game on October 29, 2017 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 29: DeAndre Washington No. 33 of the Oakland Raiders runs the ball as Kyle Williams No. 95 of the Buffalo Bills attempts to tackle him during the third quarter of an NFL game on October 29, 2017 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 19: NaVorro Bowman No. 53 of the Oakland Raiders warms up prior to their game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 19: NaVorro Bowman No. 53 of the Oakland Raiders warms up prior to their game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Neutralize the running game

There is no excuse for the Raiders in this department. Now that the Dolphins have traded their starting running back Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Raiders have to neutralize the Dolphins ground game to win in primetime.

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The new starting running back for the Dolphins is former Alabama Crimson Tide tailback Kenyan Drake. Though immensely talented, he’s not the bell-cow back that Ajayi was. At Tuscaloosa, Drake never showed he could be relied on as a primary back. He did have to split carries with some guy named Derrick Henry in college.

By stopping the run, all that does is to force the lackluster Dolphins offense to make plays through the air. Can we trust Cutler or Moore or whoever to routinely make precise throws without a strong running game to lean on, primarily throwing from a muddy pocket?

Next: Raiders: 5 matchups to watch vs. Dolphins

No, we can’t trust the Dolphins’ passing game. Then again, we can’t trust the Raiders’ pass defense either. This is all the more reason that the Raiders need to have inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman lead by example and make some great plays in run defense. The path to victory in this game isn’t all that hard. Let’s get it done, boys!

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