Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders: 3 bold predictions in Week 3

Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders: 3 bold predictions in Week 3

Bold Prediction 3: Raiders hold Miami under 14 points

The biggest surprise for the Raiders this season has been the vast improvement it has shown defensively. Raiders fans have been forced to watch a terrible defense for a very long time.

In fact, Derek Carr has never played with a top 20 defense. The best defense, statistically, of his career was in 2016 when he went 12-3 before getting hurt.

With the addition of new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, though, the Raiders have finally shown the ability to get to the quarterback and get off the field on third down. Through two weeks, the defense has graded top 15 (scoring defense).

In their first game, the Raiders defense stopped Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in several high-pressure situations and allowed just 13 points for the rest of the game after falling behind 14-0. Last week, the Raiders held the Steelers to 16 points on their home field, despite committing some unforced penalties and errors.

This week, the Raiders defense faces a backup quarterback in Jacoby Brissett, with a full week to prepare for him. Brissett struggled mightily last week, failing to score once, and the Bills did not prepare for him at all.

With virtually no running game and a shaky offensive line, Brissett is stepping into an unenviable position. The Raiders’ defense should continue to show their improvement and feast on the Miami offense this week.