Dolphins-Raiders Week 11: The Five Biggest Plays

Breaking down the five plays that most decided the outcome in the Miami Dolphins' 20-13 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium
Dolphins-Raiders Week 11: The Five Biggest Plays
Dolphins-Raiders Week 11: The Five Biggest Plays /
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The Miami Dolphins moved to 7-3 on the season with their 20-13 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

We rank the five biggest, most important, plays of the game:

1. Jaelan Phillips' INT

It's the game-ending interception that's going to get all the headlines, but the Raiders were kind of in desperation mode by then and their best chance to get the game-tying score came on their previous series. And while it's Phillips who's going to get the credit for the big play, Christian Wilkins deserves the bulk of the credit because he forced Aidan O'Connell into making the throw because he couldn't take a sack on the fourth-and-6 from the Miami 24.

2. Ramsey's Final Pick

We'll go ahead and give Jalen Ramsey the nod for his game-clinching interception, which was a spectacular play from the All-Pro Bowl cornerback as he outjumped the intended receiver to come down with the ball. Ramsey, who paid the price for it after landing from the football, sealed the victory on the interception on the second-and-10 from the Miami 39.

3. The First Fourth-Down Stop

Ramsey was in the middle of another big play when he provided blanket coverage against Jakobi Meyers down the left sideline around the end zone when the Raiders had a fourth-and-3 from the Miami 31 midway through the fourth quarter. It was an awfully strange play call by the Raiders, testing one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL on a deep pass when all they needed was 3 yards.

4. Tua's TD Pass to Ahmed

Things didn't necessarily looked great in the second quarter when the Dolphins found themselves trailing 10-7 and they had to play for a while without Tyreek Hill as he dealt with a hand injury. But the Dolphins responded to the challenge, with Tua leading a 63-yard drive that featured three receptions by Jaylen Waddle. On the touchdown play, Tua found Ahmed near the line of scrimmage and the combination of blocking and design made it an easy score for the running back.

5. Ramsey's First INT

The Dolphins held on to their lead throughout the second half, but the Raiders had plenty of opportunities, one of which coming in the third quarter when they took over at their 40-yard line after Jason Sanders missed a field goal attempt in a 14-13 game. On the very next play, O'Connell looked for Tre Tucker on a deep in, but Ramsey read the route, undercut Tucker and then dove in front of him to come up with the acrobatic interception. The pick set up the field goal that made it a 17-13 game.

Defense Saves the Day Against Raiders


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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.