The Raiders’ Momentum Presents An Important Challenge For Miami
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Momentum is everything in the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins are currently on a collision course with full speed football momentum.
Since firing their former head coach Josh McDaniels and making a switch to the universally loved Antonio Pierce the Las Vegas Raiders are 2-0. The whole league knew the team was about to undergo a positive transformation the moment a video of Davante Adams mocking his former coach while playing mini hoop basketball in the locker room went viral.
There’s a basketball hoop now in the #Raiders locker room and it certainly looks like Davante Adams is having fun. 😂😂
Watch this with sound on.
(🎥 @loganreever)
pic.twitter.com/prmpJydWU3— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 2, 2023
As the Dolphins exit their bye week it will be up to head coach Mike McDaniel and his staff to stop the Raiders momentum in its tracks.
“I’d love to know the statistics behind teams that make a coaching change in-season.” McDaniel said on Monday. “I think the thing that I always notice when it does occur, when you have a coaching change and then have immediate success followed by another game of success, is that the locker room feels some energy. It galvanizes people. It brings people together.”
You can absolutely see that galvanization on the sideline. This is a different group than a few weeks ago and they’re playing purpose driven football. Fortunately for Las Vegas, as opposed to many teams that undergo a mid season coaching change, they have the talent.
“They have well-coached fundamentals in all three phases.” McDaniel emphasized. “And I think what you’re seeing is a team that it means something to play each and every game because they feel that much more a part of the journey when you have as much adversity as one can have in the middle of the season, which is a staff change. Kudos. I think it says a lot about the players in the locker room. I think it says a lot about their talent, but also the type of people that they have that they’ve been able to band together and rip off a couple wins.”
In addition to the balanced roster succeeding under Pierce’s watchful eye, Las Vegas’ rebirth seems to have provided each of its best players with a boost in energy.
The aforementioned Adams seems unfazed by the presence of his rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell and completely ready to go to battle week in and week out.
Jacobs, despite having the whole world knowing he was going to get the ball, carried the Raiders against an insanely tough defense from New York last week.
Robert Spillane is quietly having one of the best breakouts of the 2023 season and is clearly on path to becoming a household name.
And Maxx Crosby, well, he’s currently vintage Maxx Crosby.
“He’s proven why he is the player he is, why he garners the respect he deserves, and continues to evolve in his game” the head coach said. “It seems like every single time you give him an inch, he’ll take the yard, the tackle for loss, the sack, the forced interception. He’ll take advantage of that by the way he plays. He’s both talented with a high motor, and that generally equals success in the National Football League.”
Perhaps the bye week and extra time spent on the new Raiders tape will allow the Dolphins staff to meet the new challenges this revitalized group poses. Make no mistake, it’s an important opportunity for Mcdaniels bunch. The Dolphins have thrived against subpar opponents while flailing against some of the league’s best teams.
The challenge for the second half of the season will be finding ways to succeed in games where splash plays aren’t destroying garbage opponents. The Raiders are perhaps the perfect bridge opponent in this challenge. They aren’t on the elite team level but their new found vigor puts them above the flailing category. Sunday presents a chance to start preparing for important football against a team whose recent boost brings them in firing on all cylinders.
“It’s a legitimate tool that makes teams very, very dangerous,” McDaniel concluded. “Because however it happens, if you can get a unit of players to work in one direction and play for each other, you’re a very, very dangerous team in the National Football League.”
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