The Las Vegas Raiders went into Saturday night needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and once again lost a heartbreaker.
The Las Vegas Raiders were still technically alive as they took the field on Saturday night to take on the Miami Dolphins. Of course, they needed to not only win that game but also in Week 17, while also getting help from the Baltimore Ravens and the Dolphins in terms of losing out.
During the game, the Raiders seemed to have taken care of business, playing surprisingly solid on the defensive side of the ball. However, as has been the case all season long, the Raiders could not play consistent football for four quarters, and in the end, they would wind up on the losing end of a 23-22 score.
Las Vegas will now turn their attention to Week 17, where they will try to end another disappointing season with a win against division rival Denver. After starting out 6-3, the Raiders have now lost five of their last six games, and are in danger of not even finishing with a .500 record in 2020.
Here is a recap of Saturday night’s game.
Raiders dominate the first half
Derek Carr was back in the lineup to start week 16 against the vaunted Dolphins defense, and he made his presence felt early. On the Raiders’ second drive, Carr orchestrated a 7-play 43-yard drive, aided by a 32-yard punt return from Hunter Renfrow. Carr made some tight-window throws and finished the drive by jumping over the pile for the first score of the game.
The Dolphins’ offense started to roll with some clutch plays from Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who hooked up with Jakeem Grant for a long third-down conversion. Tagovailoa would also rush for a first down on a fourth-and-5 zone read. However, the Raiders’ defense didn’t break in the red zone, as a third-down stop by Maxx Crosby would force the Dolphins to settle for a field goal.
Las Vegas would be the next team to score points, as they got the ball at midfield, and leaned heavily on their run game. Josh Jacobs‘ first carry went for 14 yards before Carr completed a pass to Nelson Agholor for 19 yards. However, after another strong run from Jacobs, the offense would stall and would have to rely on a field goal from Daniel Carlson.
Miami would then go into their bag of tricks, as a fake punt put them in Raiders territory. However, the defense played outstanding football in the first half, and run stops from Raekwon McMillan and Johnathan Abram would bring up another fourth down.
The two teams would trade field goals before the half, with the Raiders beating Miami 13-6.
Raiders lose a heartbreaker
Miami took the field to start the second half and seemed to have made the necessary adjustments to put together a sustained scoring drive. Fueled by a 24-yard run by Myles Gaskin, the Dolphins drove 75 yards in nine plays ending the drive with a ten-yard screen for a touchdown, also by Gaskin, to tie the score.
The Raiders got the ball back, but their drive stalled on fourth down, and Miami took over at midfield. However, Kendall Vicker would get the sack on third down, forcing a three-and-out, and when Las Vegas got the ball back, Carr led them on another impressive drive that would end with a Daniel Carlson field goal.
Entering the fourth quarter, Las Vegas had a three-point lead, and Miami turned to veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to replace the rookie, Tagovailoa. He led the Fins on a long drive to tie the score at 16 before Carr connected on a 75-yard touchdown pass to Agholor, who has been clutch for the Raiders all season long.
Carlson missed the field goal, which would loom large.
Miami answered right back with a touchdown of their own, making the extra point, and grabbing a one-point lead. Carr led the Raiders back into the red zone on the ensuing possession, but the team had to settle for a field goal, setting up another heartbreaking loss.
Miami made a stunning comeback in the final twenty seconds, as a facemask call on a prayer of a throw from Fitzpatrick put the Dolphins in field goal range. Jason Sanders connected from 44 yards out to seal the victory for Miami, as the Raiders fell to 7-8 on the year, and were eliminated from playoff contention.