Live coverage: Raiders blow late lead, lose 26-25 to Dolphins

By Case Keefer (contact)

Published Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 | 2 a.m.

Updated Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020 | 8:32 p.m.

The Las Vegas Raiders found yet another way to suffer a devastating loss Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium.

A disgraceful double whammy of a blown coverage and roughing-the-passer penalty with 18 seconds remaining did the trick this time. That was all Miami needed to set up a 44-yard field goal from Jason Sanders to escape Las Vegas with a 26-25 victory.  

The defeat drops Las Vegas to 7-8 on the season and officially kills what were already microscopic hopes for a playoff berth. Miami improves to 10-5 and continues to cling to the final AFC wild card spot, which it can secure with a win at Buffalo next week.

Las Vegas twice took the lead in the final four minutes, but found a way to surrender both advantages. After a defensive battle featuring mostly field goals for the first 56 minutes, Derek Carr and Nelson Agholor blew the game open with an 85-yard touchdown connection with 3:37 remaining.   

Carlson would miss the ensuing extra point, which would turn out to be significant.

Las Vegas just needed one stop to secure a victory, but  instead allowed Miami to score in three plays by failing to wrap up Myles Gaskin, who took a short pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick near the line of scrimmage 59 yards for a touchdown.

Sanders made his extra-point to give the Dolphins a 1-point lead with 2:55 to go. It also proved short-lived, however, when a pair of pass interference penalties got the Raiders down to the goal line.

Las Vegas ran the clock down as far as it could, to 23 seconds, before allowing Carlson to make his fourth field goal, this one from 22 yards out.

Fitzpatrick, who replaced ineffective rookie Tua Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter, has been known to lead a comeback throughout his 16-year NFL career but it appeared unlikely he’d have enough time on Saturday. Isaiah Johnson and Arden Key assisted with a blown coverage and face mask, respectively.

A 41-yard catch along the sidelines by Mack Hollins became a 56-yard gain courtesy of the sidelines. Miami ran one more play before sending out its field goal unit, which knocked through the attempt without any issue.

The Raiders finish their first season in Las Vegas with a 2-6 home record and goes on the road to take on the Broncos in their game of the season next week.

Check back later for more coverage and read below for live updates from the game.

Dolphins answer

Twenty-five seconds after the Raiders’ big game-changing play, the Dolphins made one of their own.

Myles Gaskin took a short pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, broke a couple tackles and sprinted 59 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. And, unlike Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, the Dolphins’ Jason Sanders didn’t miss the extra points.

It’s 23-22 Dolphins with 2:55 to go in what’s turned out to be a crazy back-and-forth game.

Raiders strike on their longest play of the year

One play has helped wipe away what has been an entire evening of struggles for the Raiders’ offense.

Derek Carr scrambled out of the pocket deep in the Raiders’ own territory and heaved a long ball to Nelson Agholor along the sideline and the veteran receiver pulled it down and sprinted to the end zone. It was an 85-yard touchdown pass with just less than four minutes remaining to give Las Vegas a 22-16 lead against Miami.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has plenty of time to answer for the Dolphins.

Dolphins tie the game at 16 late in the fourth quarter

Ryan Fitzpatrick has given the Dolphins’ offense the boost it so desperately needed.

The veteran quarterback subbed in for struggling rookie Tua Tagovailoa and immediately brought Miami down the field to tie the game with Las Vegas up at 16-16. The Raiders’ defense stopped the Dolphins on three plays from the four-yard line, leading to a 22-yard field goal from Jason sanders.

Four minutes remain in what’s now a tie game with two teams that must win if they want any chance to reach the postseason.

Raiders settle for another field goal

The Dolphins’ goal line defense has continued to give the Raiders fits.

Las Vegas reached the six-yard line for a new set of downs this time around, but Miami bore down from there. A third-down pass to Hunter Renfrow got the Raiders down to the 2-yard line, where Jon Gruden opted for a 20-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson.

Las Vegas controls the lead again, but only by a narrow margin at 16-13. The scoring drive went 80 yards on eight plays in 4:21.

Miami gets the ball back with around 2:30 left in the third quarter.

Dolphins tie it up

The halftime break appears to have reinvigorated the Dolphins’ offense.

Riding a rhythmic script put together by offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, Miami scored in nine plays and less than five minutes to start the second half. The score is now tied at 13-13.

Myles Gaskin scored the Dolphins’ first touchdown, taking a short pass from Tua Tagovailoa 10 yards and breaking a number of tackles before reaching the end zone.

Now it’s time to see whether Jon Gruden and Greg Olson put together as lethal of a gameplan for the Raiders.

Raiders ahead by a touchdown at halftime

The stalemate continues into halftime.

The Raiders have led by seven points for the vast majority of the first half against the Dolphins, a margin that will stay intact after Daniel Carlson made a XX-yard field goal, his second of the game. Miami’s Jason Sanders made his second field goal, a XXX-yarder, on the previous possession.

Las Vegas leads 13-6, a fair margin considering they’ve moved the ball more effectively than the Dolphins. Miami’s biggest gain so far inexplicably came on fake punt, which upback Clayton Fejedelem took 22 yards to set up the latest field goal.   

Darren Waller, as usual, has been Las Vegas’ best offensive weapon as he has 57 yards on three receptions.

Raiders back up a touchdown with 6:46 until halftime

The Raiders and Dolphins have traded field goals over the last nine minutes of game time, leaving the home team with a 10-3 lead.

Las Vegas got down to the five-yard line before stalling on its latest drive and settling for a 23-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson. Miami reached the 19-yard line near the end of the first quarter before sending Jason Sanders in for a 37-yard field goal.

Both defenses are playing well, as the Raiders are forcing Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into all underneath throws while pressure from Miami is continually affecting Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr.

Raiders score first seven minutes into the game

After a three-and-out by both teams, offense arrived to Allegiant Stadium on the third possession — namely, the home team’s offense arrived.

The Raiders lead 7-0 after Derek Carr leapt into the end zone from the 1-yard line. His groin didn’t appear to bother him on the scoring play or the drive overall, which lasted less than three minutes and went 43 yards on seven play.s

Hunter Renfrow set up the Las Vegas offense with a long punt return and then added a first-down on an 11-yard reception.

Inactives report

All but one of the Raiders’ starters who missed last week’s game against the Chargers will be back to take on the Dolphins tonight. Clelin Ferrell is the exception.

The defensive end will miss his second straight, and fourth of the Raiders’ last five, games with a shoulder injury. He was the headliner on the just-released inactives list, which also included backup quarterback Nathan Peterman and backup cornerback Amik Robertson.

Linebacker Nick Kwaitkoski and safety Erik Harris will also miss the game on the COVID-19 list. Finishing off the inactives list were running back Theo Riddick, tackle Brandon Parker and defensive tackle Chris Smith.

Despite the injuries, Las Vegas is as healthy as it’s been in the last several weeks to take on Miami. Leaving Peterman inactive was yet another hint that Derek Carr will return from a groin injury to start over Marcus Mariota.

When the NFL chose to slot this game as the primetime capper to a special Saturday triple-header, it likely envisioned two teams in the thick of the playoff race battling in a do-or-die affair. The league is getting something slightly less than that. The Raiders technically still have a chance to reach the postseason, but their probability has dwindled to less than 1%, according to numerous statistical models, after losing their last two games. Las Vegas now needs to prevail in its last two games and see Baltimore and Miami go winless. Even if they don’t make it, the Raiders could prove one heck of a spoiler. The Dolphins control their own destiny to earn the final of three AFC wild-card slots but the Raiders would take that away from them with a victory. It won’t be easy, as Miami arrives to town having won three of its last four. It’s also gone 6-2 overall since the starting debut of rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Favorable matchup: Darren Waller vs. Dolphins linebackers

Derek Carr is expected to return from a groin injury suffered in the first quarter against the Chargers, but it doesn’t seem to matter who’s throwing to Waller at this point. The Raiders’ 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end has emerged as an undeniable superstar with the best three-game stretch of his career, helping him earn his first career Pro Bowl nod this week. He’s totaled 29 catches for 425 yards and three touchdowns in the span, catching passes from both Carr and Marcus Mariota. The Dolphins have been above average against tight ends this year, but Waller is no ordinary tight end. He’s lining up out wide and in the slot just as often lately as coach Jon Gruden looks to manufacture as many touches as possible for him. But the Dolphins have been susceptible to passes over the middle, ranking 20th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA in the category, so the Raiders might be best served by letting Waller run short drags and curls against overmatched linebackers in coverage.

Problematic matchup: Raiders pass offense vs. Dolphins pass defense

The best part of the Raiders this season has been their pass offense. The best part of the Dolphins this season has been their pass defense. Something has to give at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas has shown it can throw on any team once it gets into a rhythm, but it won’t be easy to establish one against Miami. The Dolphins arguably have the best pair of starting cornerbacks the Raiders have seen all season in prized free-agent acquisition Byron Jones and breakout All-Pro Xavien Howard. Las Vegas reportedly tried to sign Jones this offseason before he agreed to a 5-year, $82.5 million deal with Miami. The former Dallas Cowboy has been decent but largely overshadowed by Howard, who leads the NFL with nine interceptions and may garner some Defensive Player of the Year votes. Carr, or Mariota, will need to be more careful about trying to fit throws into tight receiving windows.

Gamebreaker: Defensive tackle Maliek Collins

The Raiders’ interior defensive line play was poor in the 11 games when Collins was healthy this year. It’s regressed to abominable in the last three games, which he’s missed with a shoulder injury. Collins came off of short-term injured reserve this week and is expected to play against the Dolphins. The Raiders’ coaching staff raised expectations on Collins heading into the season by calling the free-agent signing the “key” to the defense and received subsequent flak when he failed to make a noticeable impact in either his pass-rushing or gap-filling duties. But maybe now everyone is seeing what they meant; the Raiders are perilously thin at the position. And they still believe the former Dallas Cowboy can be the difference-maker they so desperately need. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli gave a glowing practice report on Collins this week, saying he’s going to get back to “the guy we had in training camp.”

Big Number: 1

Since the AFL/NFL merger, only one player the Raiders have drafted in the opening three rounds went on to play against them in their rookie season, according to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. Lynn Bowden Jr. could become the second on Saturday, following fullback Ted McKnight, whom the Raiders took inthe second round of the 1977 NFL Draft before releasing him and allowing him to get picked up by the Chiefs. Las Vegas drafted Bowden in the third round, with the 80th overall pick, and intended to use him as the primary backup running back to Josh Jacobs. But Bowden, who played more snaps at wide receiver and quarterback at the University of Kentucky, struggled with the blocking aspects of the job and was surprisingly beaten out by veteran Devontae Booker. It’s virtually unprecedented to cut a third-round pick, so the Raiders managed to get something for Bowden by flipping him to the Dolphins along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Bowden is playing receiver for the Dolphins and has caught 18 passes for 159 yards on the season.

Best Bet: Raiders lead at halftime and win game +200

The Raiders are like a Reese’s peanut butter cup in this game — There’s no wrong way to bet them. That doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to win; there are no locks in gambling. It just means they’re mispriced in the betting market. If you evaluate these teams on the season as a whole, and not just the last few games, they’re a lot closer than the current lines suggest. With an extra three days of rest off of a Thursday Night Football appearance, the Raiders should be the fresher team and buoyed by the return of most, if not all, of the starters who didn’t play against the Chargers. Look for Las Vegas to make an all-out effort to ensure at least a .500 overall record, an improvement they should lock up to snap a three-game home losing streak and finish 3-5 overall in its first season at Allegiant Stadium.