The Las Vegas Raiders are taking on the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, and this team should be ready for the action against what appears, on paper, to be an inferior opponent. It will also be the first time Raider Nation gets the chance to see what a Klint Kubiak-led team looks like.
What will it take for the Silver and Black to pull out this victory? Well, the Raiders need to attack certain areas of the field and slow down key Dolphins to get their first win of the campaign in front of their home crowd on opening day.
Here are the three biggest keys to the game.
Las Vegas Raiders' keys to victory vs. the Miami Dolphins in Week 1
Key No. 1 - Slow down RB De'Von Achane
Of course, the first key is to slow down the backbone of the Dolphins' offense: De'Von Achane. He is the lead back for Miami and is coming off a monster season in 2025 in which he averaged 5.7 yards per carry and ran for 1,350 yards.
While he is not the red-zone back in the offense, he is known for explosive plays that can be a back-breaker for a defense. According to PFF, Achane had 24 rushes over 15+ yards, which led the NFL. The Raiders need to crowd the line of scrimmage and force him to play like a natural running back.
Achane can be impatient at times, so Las Vegas has to fly to the ball and clog up holes quickly. Also, the safeties have to come to play in the tackling department and be willing helpers against the run, or it could be a long day for the Silver and Black.
Key No. 2 - Raiders must utilize the outside run game
Miami edge rushers like Chop Robinson and Josh Uche aren't known for being edge setters against the run, so the Dolphins will struggle when the ball is ran at them. When the Raiders run the football, it should be with a heavy emphasis on toss plays and wide zone runs.
This will force Miami's defensive ends and outside linebackers to make plays in the run game and set the edge. With DJ Glaze and Kolton Miller able to move these players, it will force the Dolphins to rely on their young and inexperienced corners and safeties to make tackles.
With Mike Washington Jr. and Ashton Jeanty coming at them, it will not be an easy day for Miami.
Key No. 3 - Don't leave DJ Glaze on an island
On the flip side, the Raiders must help Glaze in the passing game. His main matchup will be Robinson, who gave Glaze fits at the college level and got the best of him in their NFL faceoff as well. Leaving Glaze by himself to fend off Robinson is a recipe for disaster.
What Robinson and Uche depend on to win as pass rushers is speed. No matter how improved Glaze is in that area, he will always struggle against speed at the NFL Level with his slow feet. Kubiak must give him tons of help, whether it’s Connor Heyward, Ian Thomas, chips, or whatever he concocts.
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