Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders: Complete Week 4 Preview for Miami

Just when you think it couldn't get any worse in Miami in regards to the Dolphins, this week happened. 

The current week started with a 34-15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. While that would've been the worst part of a week for some teams, for the Dolphins it was just the beginning. 

A potential quarterback controversy erupted in Miami, one that sparked debate among Dolphins fans everywhere and created what could possibly be a huge distraction for a team going into a game against the Oakland Raiders in London. Oakland is technically the home team in the contest. 

It's not like the Raiders have fared better this season; in fact, they're much worse. Oakland is 0-3 and has lost all three of its games by an average margin of nine points. That average loss margin was even higher before Oakland managed to lose to the New England Patriots by only a touchdown in Week 3. 

Will Sunday bring Miami a much-needed victory prior to the bye week, or will the trip to London be such a disaster that Clark Griswold planned it out? 

Here's our Week 4 Miami Dolphins preview. 

Week 3 Recap

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It wasn't pretty to watch the Miami Dolphins get destroyed by Kansas City last Sunday, losing 34-15. 

Despite the score itself, Miami was in the game for most of the contest. The Dolphins' defensive front was dominant, sacking Alex Smith five times, and the running game was solid, going for 141 yards on 21 attempts. 

Unfortunately, the Dolphins couldn't stop the run, as the Chiefs ran for 174 yards on 41 attempts. When he wasn't being sacked, Smith was picking apart the Dolphins' defense. Yes, he completed only 19 passes for 186 yards, but Smith was efficient and effective in finding every hole in Miami's defense. 

Then there's Miami's passing game, which threw the ball 43 times, not counting sacks. Ryan Tannehill was a disaster on Sunday, failing to connect with his receivers. They weren't exactly helping, as they dropped passes as well. 

As a whole, the Dolphins performed quite horribly, despite winning the turnover battle. This game is the primary reason why the Dolphins have had such a horrid week. 

News and Notes

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This week, we're using this section to highlight the turbulent week in Miami. 

Joe Philbin Refuses to Name Ryan Tannehill Starting Quarterback

On Monday, Joe Philbin maybe tried (and failed at) motivating Ryan Tannehill by not naming him Miami's starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders (per James Walker of ESPN.com). 

During the press conference, Philbin was asked if Tannehill would remain the starting quarterback. His reply: "We're going to get our 46 best players in the game and we're going to utilize them the best way possible."

Philbin was asked if there would be an open competition between Matt Moore and Tannehill: "Again, we're going to choose 46 guys that we think will help us win the football game." 

Philbin was then asked if that would put Tannehill's status in limbo: "Again, I'm going to stick with the answer that I've given."

When asked a third time, Philbin offered: "We're going to start our game plan for Oakland when I leave here and we're going to decide which 46 players are going and how to best utilize them." 

The answers to the questions were vague, stubborn and awfully flippant for a head coach who really can't afford to be either of these things at this point. Should Philbin put Tannehill on notice? I actually believe he should, as Tannehill has not performed up to the level that Miami expects from him. 

However, this was the wrong approach for Philbin, and it should be noted that Philbin deserves as much blame for Miami's 1-2 start as Tannehill. Perhaps a bit more. 

Replacing Tannehill with Moore might fix the Dolphins' quarterback situation, but it won't fix Miami's coaching situation until after the season. 

Ryan Tannehill: 'Joe Philbin Created A Distraction'

While Coach Philbin was vague about whether Tannehill would start on Sunday, Tannehill himself said that he would start. 

Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel said that Tannehill also pointed out what everyone else did, saying that Philbin created a distraction by not publicly naming him the starter, stating: 

"

It creates a bunch of stir and a bunch of distraction in the locker room, mostly from the outside coming in, and guys having to deal with the distraction of it. So it's not a good feeling, but he's been clear with me and I know where I stand.

"

It doesn't seem like Tannehill said this with the intention of throwing Philbin under the bus. Rather, he was pointing out how this mushroomed into the controversy it became. He handled it well, and even pointed out at the end that his coaches have been clear with him, which in reality is all that matters. 

However, a coach was still criticized by his quarterback, and said quarterback was correct. Why create a distraction when there's no reason to? From the outside looking in, this looked like a motivational ploy that backfired. 

Joe Philbin Takes Accountability for Stirring Up Quarterback Controversy

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Joe Philbin held a meeting with the team on Thursday morning to address the controversy of the week. 

In said meeting, Philbin took responsibility for what he said, was remorseful about the situation and promised to not create a situation like that again. 

Then Philbin spoke to the media, saying: 

"

All I’ll say is one of the functions of the head coach is to create an atmosphere free from distractions. To the degree that I contributed to any of those distractions, intended or not doesn’t really matter. That falls on me. It’s my responsibility and certainly I expect that responsibility as a head coach. That’s all I have to say on that.

"

Good on Philbin for taking responsibility for this mess, a mess that he really didn't have to get into.

Injury Report

USA TODAY Sports

Name	Position	Injury	Status
Walt Aikens	Cornerback	Hand	Probable
Branden Albert	Tackle	Shoulder	Probable
Charles Clay	Tight End	Knee	Probable
Terrence Fede	Defensive End	Knee	Probable
Cortland Finnegan	Cornerback	Neck	Probable
Jonathan Freeny	Linebacker	Ankle	Probable
Brandon Gibson	Wide Receiver	Groin	Probable
Jelani Jenkins	Linebacker	Abdomen	Questionable
Anthony Johnson	Defensive Tackle	Shoulder	Probable
Koa Misi	Linebacker	Ankle	Doubtful
Knowshon Moreno	Running Back	Elbow	Out
Mike Pouncey	Center	Hip	Doubtful
Shelley Smith	Guard	Knee	Doutbful
Randy Starks	Defensive Tackle	Back	Out
Dallas Thomas	Guard	Shoulder	Probable
Jordan Tripp	Linebacker	Chest	Probable
Billy Turner	Guard/Tackle	Foot	Probable
Mike Wallace	Wide Receiver	Hamstring	Probable
Philip Wheeler	Linebacker	Thumb	Probable
Damien Williams	Running Back	Ankle	Questionable
Jimmy Wilson	Safety	Tooth	Probable

Injury report courtesy of NFL.com/MiamiDolphins

Missing Randy Starks is a huge loss, which will further push the load on our X-Factor (to be named in the next slide). 

Also worth noting, LB Chris McCain also didn't travel with the team, who Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel reports will miss the game due to personal matters. 

Our condolences to Chris, who's personal matters involve dealing with the death of his grandfather. 

X-Factor and Matchups to Watch

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Justin Tuck vs. Ja'Wuan James

Oakland can't do a lot well, but they can rush the passer. 

Tuck is a key player in that game, and he'll be matched up against rookie Ja'Wuan James. 

James had a good start, but struggled against Kansas City, allowing Tannehill to get sacked once. Containing Tuck is key to helping this offense flourish. 

Mike Wallace vs. Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson still has it. He's one of the few bright spots on the Raiders right now and can still cover with the best of them. 

He is a free safety, but expect him to cover Mike Wallace a lot on Sunday, as Woodson will have to serve as the last line of defense. Can Wallace get behind Woodson? 

Will it even matter? 

X-Factor: Jelani Jenkins

Jenkins has been great in his last three games, so why name him an X-factor for this game? 

The Raiders will look to Maurice Jones-Drew throughout the game and will attack the Dolphins' defense the same way Kansas City did-by dinking-and-dunking their way down the field. Jones-Drew will be the primary receiver (and running back) and will be shaded by Jenkins. 

Jenkins covers running backs well. He will have to do the same in London. 

Prediction

Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

This has all of the makings of a disaster for the Dolphins. 

A turbulent week at quarterback somewhat hides the fact that Miami's defense has allowed 31.5 points per game in the last two weeks, and that any team with an effective running game can neutralize them. 

Oakland has the type of team that can beat Miami, even if the Raiders themselves haven't looked very good. 

On top of that, here's a team thirsty for its first win of the season, with a rookie quarterback and a head coach fighting for his job. 

This game eerily reminds me of last season when the Dolphins faced the Buccaneers in Tampa. Much of the same factors are going into the game for both teams, and it didn't wind up looking too pretty for Miami. 

With this game, I don't see what will be different, as the Dolphins appear to be coming apart. A win on Sunday assuages some fears, but a loss puts the season into a tailspin. 

Prediction: Raiders 24, Dolphins 20