Miami Dolphins running game sparks as they beat Oakland Raiders 35-13 – NFL Recap
After struggling in the season opener, Miami Dolphins made a remarkable comeback on Sunday, September 16, 2012, as they beat Oakland Raiders 35-13 in Week 2 game at Sun Life Stadium, Miami, Florida.
Dolphins had previously given the notion during the offseason that they would rely more heavily on their passing game. However, it was not the case against Raiders as their running game looked capable enough to take the game away on their own.
Running back Reggie Bush gave a blistering performance, getting two touchdowns while running for 172 yards.
It was a refreshing win for Dolphins who looked a bit undermined in their 30-10 loss against Houston Texans last week. It was also the first win for Joe Philbin as Dolphins' head coach.
Apart from the amazing running game, rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill also showed impressive performance as he scored his first touchdown in the league. He completed 18 out of 30 passes for 200 yards.
Dolphins defence did not face much difficulty against the sloppy Raiders offence. Dolphins are now 1-1 in the standings. According to the Associated Press, Philbin said:
"It was nothing fancy, nothing magical. Our identity right now is we've got to run the ball effectively and stop the run."
Raiders had a good first half, leading the game 10-7, but the scenario completely changed in the second half as their defence gave away 28 points.
Offensively, Raiders’ passing game was below average as they faltered to get in the catching position on time.
Wide receiver Darren McFadden only managed to cover 19 yards. Raiders scored only one touchdown during the game. They are now 0-2 down and new head coach Dennis Allen is feeling the pressure to perform well. Allen said:
"We haven't helped our offense out with field position. We need to take the ball away and create short fields. We can't go 80 yards on every drive."
Dolphins kicked off the game on a high as Tannehill scored a touchdown with a two-yard run to the end zone with around nine minutes left in the first quarter.
Raiders got their first scoring move when quarterback Carson Palmer threw a superb 64-yard pass to Mike Goodson to level the score 7-7.
Raiders finished the second quarter with a 25-yard field goal from kicker Sebastian Janikowski.
In the third quarter, Dolphins offence stepped up its game as Bush ran through four tackles to score a 23-yard touchdown.
Crowd got jubilant when Bush reached the end zone again, getting a 65-yard run to take the score 21-10 at the end of the third quarter.
In the final quarter, Raiders managed to get another field goal by Janikowski. After that, Tannehill scored a touchdown through a 14-yard pass to tight end Anthony Fasano.
Rookie running Lamar Miller also got a chance to make his professional debut. He scored the final blow against Raiders with a 15-yard run for a touchdown, taking the score to 35-13.
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