The Dolphins were down 10 points in the second half of Sunday’s home game against the Raiders, but that deficit proved to be no problem.
Albert Wilson threw one long touchdown and caught another in the fourth quarter to propel the Dolphins to 28-20 win over the 0-3 Raiders. Wilson’s first score came on a well-designed trick play as he took a pitch from Frank Gore on a reverse and hit Jakeem Grant for a 52-yard touchdown.
That gave the Dolphins their first lead of the afternoon, but the Raiders were able to drive back into the red zone rather easily on their next drive. Cornerback Xavien Howard picked off Derek Carr in the end zone, however, and Wilson took advantage of a Raiders defensive breakdown to sprint 74 yards for a touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill.
Wilson’s touchdown catch capped a three-touchdown day for Tannehill and pinned a happy ending on a day that looked like it might go the other way. The Dolphins lost Akeem Spence to a suspension while William Hayes and Andre Branch both got injured, which left them playing offensive lineman Jesse Davis on the defensive line at times. They were also missing safety Reshad Jones and rookie Minkah Fitzpatrick had his difficulties against the Raiders passing game.
Carr couldn’t make the pass he need in the fourth quarter, however, and the Raiders have now blown halftime leads in all three of their games this season. That leaves Jon Gruden still in search of the first win of his return to the NFL and it’s making for long odds that his return engagement will begin with a playoff berth.
