Football exists in this strange paradigm where every season seems to go by way too fast, but also feel like an eternity played out over the course of 18 weeks. It will have been 21 days between home games for the Dolphins when they kick it off Sunday against the Raiders, yet so much has changed during that three-week period.
Here's what the team is saying about the recent stretch of games heading into an important home date with Las Vegas:
Facing the Raiders
Head Coach Mike McDaniel on Raiders DE Maxx Crosby – "They play him various places; Maxx Crosby is probably as disruptive of a player that's in the National Football League. I think from an offensive standpoint it's not one person's job in terms of he's going to move around and the routes have to be crisp and Tua's timing has to be right, all the cylinders to execute against him because he's not only a talented player, but he's a high-effort, high-strain player. I think that's one of the better players in the entire league; he is a challenge so you have to be very mindful."
Safety Jevon Holland on facing the Raiders – "They've got a bunch of weapons on offense. They've got a hell of a tight end (Brock Bowers), Bay Area product, so I'm really looking forward to playing them. It's just another challenge in this upcoming week. I'm looking forward to it. They were a good team last year. They played us well last year, so I'm assuming that they're going to play us well this year. They're going to be a scrappy team; they've got a good defense and I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a dogfight."
Defensive Tackle Zach Sieler on Raiders DT Christian Wilkins - "We keep in touch pretty often, but I do think we both kind of … we're not talking this week (laughter)."
Tua Tagovailoa extending plays
McDaniel - "There's a lot of aspects in his game that he's been able to evolve and that's definitely one of them. I think with regard to our specific offense, there's so much geared to where your body has to be, the timing of plays and where your eyes have to be and how aggressive you have to be to No. 1 or No. 2. And then as you evolve, the art of 'all right, one through four isn't there. Let me extend the play and make something happen.' I think that is something that in the process comes last if you're doing the initial part of the offense correctly, and I think it's also he's always looking for ways to get better and the way he's attacked his body, his diet and the residuals of that help him do that
Running back De'Von Achane – "(Tua is) always getting better every week, as you can see. He made a lot of plays this week with his legs and scrambling and getting out of the pocket, so you see him getting more comfortable."
For more on the Dolphins-Raiders, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
