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So interesting how the clock becomes a factor here in overtime. You don't see that much. Raiders have to capitalize here.
The Las Vegas Raiders found a way to stay undefeated on Sunday, as they downed the Miami Dolphins 31-28 in overtime. Not having Tua Tagovailoa hurt this week, but Jacoby Brissett led a 13-play, 82-yard touchdown drive with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and connected with Will Fuller for the tying two-point conversion. He flipped a switch in the final stages of regular time, and showed what he was capable of. Still it wasn't enough to escape Sin City with a win. Daniel Carlson kicked a 22-yard field goal with just seconds remaining in overtime to seal the victory for the Raiders.
There were plenty of points left on the board on Sunday. The Dolphins had a terrible safety in the first half and Carlson missed an extra point as well as a field goal. Derek Carr again played well. He overcame his first-quarter interception to throw for 386 yards and two touchdowns. Hunter Renfrow stood out as one of his favorite receivers, as he caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. Running back Peyton Barber, who was a free agent just a couple of weeks ago, showed up in overtime, and rushed for a career-high 111 yards and one touchdown.
It was a wild game, but let's try to break it down. Why did the Raiders win and the Dolphins lose?
Why the Raiders won
Call it the resiliency of the Raiders. After going down 14 in the first quarter, it really felt like we were about to see a surprising upset. Carr was able to get his offense to settle in, however, and the Raiders reeled off 25 straight points. The defense did its damndest to lose this one, but Carr skillfully navigated choppy waters and helped the Raiders rack up a total of 497 yards of offense. His first-quarter interception was the only turnover the Raiders committed all game, and he led two scoring drives in overtime. Carr has been one of the most impressive quarterbacks in 2021.
Why the Dolphins lost
With how wild the end of the fourth quarter and overtime were, it almost felt like the Dolphins won this game. Still, Brissett was a nonfactor for the majority of the matchup. He didn't even have 100 passing yards until the fourth quarter. The offensive line struggled and the play calls were questionable at best (more on that later.) The offense deserves credit for showing up when it mattered at the end of the game, but Miami could have won this contest if it put together more than one good drive through the first three quarters. Brissett coming to life at the end of the game could be something to build off of -- which is certainly what Dolphins fans are hoping for since Tagovailoa was placed on IR -- but a loss is a loss. The defense could've been much better, but you can't pin the entire loss on that unit.
Plays of the game
He may not be the fastest player on the field, but he still outran everyone on this play! Elandon Roberts got the Dolphins going early on with a pick six on the Raiders' second possession of the game. He read Carr's eyes and knew exactly where he was going with it.
Brissett turned into a magician at the end of the game, and some of that magic carried into overtime. Check out this throw to convert a fourth-and-20 and keep the game alive:
The emergence of Hunter Renfrow
We should be talking about Renfrow more. The former Clemson walk-on caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. He's now been targeted 22 times on the season and has come through for Carr time and time again. He's evolving into one of the best slot receivers in the NFL, and his route-running is a large reason why. Look at what he did against Xavien Howard -- one of the best cornerbacks in the world.
Puzzling play calling leads to safety
This was one of the most confusing play calls I've ever seen. On your own 1-yard line and you want to throw the ball behind the line of scrimmage? The Dolphins got what they deserved here. This was a pretty important play when you consider how close the game was.
According to Pro Football Reference, this safety is the first in their play-by-play database on a completed pass with no penalties or fumbles.
What's next
Brissett and the Dolphins return to Miami next week to play host to the 0-3 Indianapolis Colts. As for the Raiders, they take on the rival Los Angeles Chargers next week on "Monday Night Football" at SoFi Stadium. Justin Herbert and Co. are coming off of a huge divisional win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
