Raiders at Dolphins
Ryan Tannehill will get a second chance to make a favorable first impression when the Miami Dolphins host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday in their home opener. Tannehill, the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft, had a forgettable pro debut in a loss to the Houston Texans and can allay the concerns of Miami fans with a better performance against Oakland. The Dolphins failed to score an offensive touchdown against Houston, and the Raiders were on their way to matching them before getting in the end zone with 54 seconds to play in a 22-14 home loss to San Diego. Miami has won 12 of the last 15 meetings with Oakland.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Raiders -2.5, O/U 39
ABOUT THE RAIDERS (0-1): The early leader in Oakland's clubhouse for team MVP is ... long snapper Jon Condo. A concussion suffered by Condo forced backup Travis Goethel into the lineup, resulting in a hard-to-watch effort in which he rolled a pair of snaps and misfired on another punt attempt that led to three field goals for the Chargers. The Raiders' issues went far deeper than the struggles in the punting game. Running back Darren McFadden accounted for only 32 yards on 15 carries and was the main focus of the passing game, hauling in 13 catches for 86 yards. The return to the lineup of explosive wideout Denarius Moore should help QB Carson Palmer and the vertical passing game.
ABOUT THE DOLPHINS (0-1): Tannehill, the first rookie to start at quarterback in franchise history, did not look ready for the bright lights. He threw interceptions on three consecutive possessions, including a pair that allowed Houston to score 21 points in the final two minutes of the first half. As expected, Reggie Bush was the main offensive threat, accounting for 115 total yards that included six receptions. Bush rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown and Miami churned out 209 yards on the ground in last season's 34-14 home romp over the Raiders. Miami's defense acquitted itself well against Houston's punishing running game, allowing only 83 yards on 35 rushing attempts.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Dolphins have won three straight and six of the past seven matchups with the Raiders.
2. Oakland signed long snapper Nick Guess this week in case Condo is not cleared to play, but WR Jacoby Ford underwent foot surgery and CB Ron Bartell is out with a broken left shoulder blade.
3. McFadden missed last season's loss to Miami, which limited the Raiders to 46 rushing yards.