Raiders Rebuilt Their Lead and Left Miami Chasing Time

The final margin was 14 points, but Miami had Las Vegas’s lead down to four with 12:44 left in the third quarter. The Raiders did not let that state last.

Michael Taaffe intercepted Kirk Cousins early in the quarter, and Malik Willis’s 14-yard touchdown scramble cut the lead from 17-6 to 17-13. Dylan Laube returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to midfield, giving Las Vegas a favorable start rather than points by itself.

The Raiders still had work to do. Tre Tucker caught a 21-yard pass for a first down, and Ashton Jeanty gained three yards on second-and-2 for another. At 9:58, Cousins found Jeanty for a 13-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.

Miami had turned an 11-point halftime deficit into a one-score game. In 2:46 of game time, Las Vegas had restored the 11-point gap.

The next transition made Miami’s task more demanding. At 9:49 of the third quarter, Treydan Stukes intercepted Willis at the Las Vegas 34 with the Raiders ahead 24-13.

Jeanty gained five, six and 15 yards on runs during the ensuing possession. Later, facing third-and-3 at the Miami 17, he ran seven yards for another first down. Las Vegas did not reach the end zone: An offensive offside penalty wiped out a 25-yard field goal, and Matt Gay made the subsequent 30-yard attempt for a 27-13 lead.

The kick came at 2:34. That left 7:15 of third-quarter clock between the interception and the field goal. The score had grown, and Miami had less time in the quarter to address it.

The extra three points changed the arithmetic. At 24-13, a touchdown with a two-point conversion and a field goal would have tied the game. At 27-13, that combination would leave Miami three points short.

Miami still produced chances. After Gay’s field goal, Jaylen Wright returned the kickoff 79 yards. Nakobe Dean then sacked Willis on third down, and Riley Patterson missed a 41-yard field goal.

The deficit remained 14 in the fourth quarter. At 13:14, Maxx Crosby sacked Willis for a four-yard loss on third-and-6. Miami faced fourth-and-10 and punted.

An interception by Dante Trader Jr. gave the Dolphins the ball again at 11:32. Two incompletions brought up third-and-10; this time Crosby and Kwity Paye split an eight-yard sack. Miami faced fourth-and-18 and punted again.

The interception changed possession, not the score. On both fourth-quarter sequences, the sacks left Miami farther from a first down, and both possessions ended in punts. Neither team scored in the quarter.