Some games this week feature two juggernauts squaring off. Others, like this one, will see two rebuilding teams trying to get back on the right track. But, even if these teams are towards the bottom of the league right now, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are created equally.

The Dolphins are clearly in the “tank” portion of the cycle. Due largely to the Tua Tagovailoa nightmare, they actually have more dead cap than active spending this year. The team isn’t really build to compete, but to shed as much of that bad money now as possible before ushering in a new era. Part of that is figuring out who will be part of the future plans or not, like quarterback Malik Willis.

The Raiders, on the other hand, are through that portion and are focused on building. They have some young stars in Ashtony Jeanty, Brock Bowers, and Fernando Mendoza. Unfortunately for fans, Ashton Jeanty is working through an ankle injury, Brock Bowers is set to miss a couple weeks after minor knee surgery, and first-overall pick rookie Fernando Mendoza is going to wait for his chance behind veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. 

 

 

 

🏅 Dolphins vs. Raiders Expert Pick: Greg Dulcich Over 2.5 Receptions (-114 on DraftKings)

The Dolphins really are running tryouts for the future team here. They’ve already given guys like Tutu Atwell and Terrace Marshall a shot without them making the team. In Week 1 here, they are going to roll out Malik Washington and two rookies in Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell. Not only is Chris Bell playing his first NFL game but it’s his first NFL game after tearing his ACL in college last year.

One of the consistent reports out of Miami camp has been that Greg Dulcich has been one of the favorite targets of Malik Willis. Bobby Slowik had Darren Waller running 70% of his routes from a WR spot last year, just like Jonnu Smith the year before. When Waller was hurt, Dulcich came out and had multiple games with five targets. This team is going to use a fullback and blocking tight ends which I think consolidates the snaps and targets among the pass-catchers and could really see Dulcich being one of the focal points of this pass attack. So don’t be surprised when he catches a some passes this weekend on a fairly barren team. 

 

 

 

👀 How To Watch Dolphins vs. Raiders NFL Week 1

  • Where: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV
  • When: 4:05 PM ET on 9/13
  • Watch on TV: FOX
  • Where to stream: NFL+

 

 

 

🔢 Dolphins vs. Raiders Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

 

 

 

🏉 Dolphins vs. Raiders Injury Report & Latest News

The biggest news by far is the Brock Bowers development. He’s set to miss a couple games after having last minute knee surgery just this past Tuesday. That’s going to throw Michael Mayer into a bigger role right away as well as ask more from guys like Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor. Running back Ashton Jeanty is hopefully to go here coming off some ankle issues but signs are pointing to him being active. All eyes are then on Kirk Cousins and how long he can fend off rookie Fernando Mendoza.

The Dolphins have a ton of new faces including coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis. They actually had 13 rookies make their 53 man roster, which is a huge chunk compared to your average team. The Dolphins are fairly healthy though linebacker Ronnie Harrison (hamstring) and rookie tight end Will Kacmarak (calf) have been limited in practice this week.

 

 

 

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