Dolphins’ pass rush will show Jon Gruden, Raiders what they’re missing

Miami Dolphins’ pass-rushers Robert Quinn and Cameron Wake will show Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders what they’re missing in Week 3.

The Miami Dolphins are 2-0, while the Oakland Raiders are 0-2. There are many reasons for the difference in records, but the main one has to do with pass-rushers.

Simply put, the Dolphins have them and the Raiders don’t.

Fans of the Silver and Black will tell you the Oakland D’ doesn’t have a standout pass-rusher because head coach Jon Gruden traded Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears.

For his part, Gruden will say “it’s hard to find a great one. It’s hard to find a good one,” the way he did to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area.

The Dolphins have news for Gruden. Finding a top pass-rusher isn’t as hard as he thinks.

Miami managed it this offseason when the AFC East club traded for Robert Quinn from the Los Angeles Rams. He’s a good, very good, better yet, even a potentially great pass-rusher who can make life miserable for Derek Carr and the Raiders in Week 3.

Quinn got his first sack in a Dolphins uniform during last week’s road win over divisional foe the New York Jets. At his best, the long-armed, quick-stepping speed demon who didn’t fit the Rams’ 3-4 scheme can take over a game by himself.

How the Raiders must wish they had a player as capable of destructive dominance. Especially when they’re seeing the havoc Mack is creating off the edge for Da Bears.

Gruden and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther haven’t found anything close to a Mack replacement. However, the Raiders D’ still played a solid game against the Denver Broncos in Week 2.

It will take a more than a solid effort to slow down these Dolphins. Ryan Tannehill is dangerously close to maturing in head coach Adam Gase’s creative system. It helps to have weapons like Danny Amendola, Albert Wilson and Frank Gore around the Miami quarterback.

Guenther’s best counter will be to lean on the A-gap pressure packages he learned from Mike Zimmer and Marvin Lewis with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Raiders’ bigger headache when game-planning will involve finding ways to contain Quinn. He figures to be a nightmare for rookie left tackle Kolton Miller.

Gruden and O-line coach Tom Cable likely dream of a world where Quinn is their only worry. The Dolphins can also point to Cameron Wake and William Hayes as potential game-wreckers.

Wake doesn’t have a sack through two games, but the 36-year-old has felt the collars of quarterbacks 92 times during a stellar career. Hayes is something of an X factor, versatile enough to move from side to side or play inside as a so-called “reduced end” who can overwhelm guards with speed.

The Dolphins have the weapons up front to make Raiders passer Carr look foolish. His job will be made harder by Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is already impressing among rookie cover men:

Intense pressure allied with blanket coverage can take away one half of the Raiders’ offense at the Hard Rock Stadium. It means Gruden won’t need to waste time searching for answers for why his team is 0-3.

He’ll just have to look at how much damage Quinn and Wake cause, think of Mack and wonder what might have been.