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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: Jared Cook No. 87 of the Oakland Raiders makes a catch at the one-yard line of the Kansas City Chiefs in the final moments of their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 19: Jared Cook No. 87 of the Oakland Raiders makes a catch at the one-yard line of the Kansas City Chiefs in the final moments of their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 19, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Get the tight ends involved in the passing game

Oakland signed tight end Jared Cook this offseason for a reason. Wasn’t that to get the tight ends more involved in the passing game? When Oakland has been at its best this season offensively, quarterback Derek Carr has been able to find guys like Cook in the middle of the field in the passing game.

With the inconsistencies we’ve seen out of the wide receivers this season, this only further proves the importance of getting the tight ends involved in the passing game. While Cook won’t need over 100 receiving yards on Sunday night to make an impact, looking his, Lee Smith or Clive Walford‘s way should be part of the game plan for the Raiders.

Miami’s strength as a defense is in the trenches, meaning that there are opportunities to exploit blown coverages in the back-seven of the Dolphins defense. The more space Carr can give Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, the better. A great way to do this is to feature Cook as the third prominent receiving option on Sunday.

It worked to perfection in the Raiders’ last win at home against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. Cook had his best game as a Raider. Cooper had his best game of the season. Crabtree would have the game-winning touchdown catch as time expired. Miami is vulnerable in pass coverage, so let’s take advantage of that.

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