5 players the Raiders need to play well to beat the Dolphins

Maxx Crosby must take advantage of Tua Tagovailoa being banged up already

While a lot has been made about the Raiders’ improved pass rush, none of that is going to matter if the defensive front-seven does not take care of business vs. Miami on Sunday. If the Raiders plan on winning a ton of games this year, they must learn how to play with a lead. That means getting after the passer relentlessly with the likes of Maxx Crosby. He has to play big on Sunday.

Though Crosby did not register a sack in the Raiders’ road victory over the Steelers, he still leads the team in sacks with two of them. Even if Ben Roethlisberger is hard to bring down, that should not stop Crosby from getting after Tua Tagovailoa or Jacoby Brissett on Sunday. With Tagovailoa already dealing with yet another injury, look for Crosby and company to take complete advantage.

While the Dolphins are 1-1 on the year, a porous offensive line could be their undoing. They may be well-coached and have all sorts of players flying around defensively, but they are not going to approach 10 wins if Tagovailoa is not able to complete the season. Brissett is certainly capable of filling in for him in a big spot, but they combined for precisely zero points vs. the Buffalo Bills.

The Raiders can take complete control of this game if Crosby and the pass rush show up big time.