Derek Carr, Raiders Beat Jay Cutler, Dolphins Behind Marshawn Lynch's 2 TDs

The Oakland Raiders needed a win Sunday after dropping five of their last six, and Derek Carr and Marshawn Lynch made sure they earned one with a 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

Carr finished with 300 passing yards and a touchdown, while Lynch ran for 57 yards and two scores as Oakland improved to 4-5 and remained in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Miami lost its second straight following a three-game winning streak and fell to 4-4 on the season.

Jay Cutler's return wasn't enough for the home team, although he impressed by completing 34 of his 42 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns.

While Cutler finished with a solid line, Oakland's defense stood strong with the game hanging in the balance.

The Dolphins' first two possessions of the fourth quarter started at their own 48-yard line and their own 45-yard line with the Raiders clinging to a 20-16 lead, but Oakland forced punts on two three-and-outs.

The first of those opportunities came after the most memorable play of the game. After Ndamukong Suh sacked Carr and forced a fumble, Raiders offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse recovered it, but he also proceeded to fumble while doing his best running back impersonation:

It was a rough play for Newhouse:

Miami had only so many chances before the Raiders offense made it pay, and Carr's 29-yard pass to Seth Roberts and a pass interference set up a late touchdown for Lynch. The Dolphins then climbed within three with a touchdown pass from Cutler to Julius Thomas and two-point conversion from Kenyan Drake, but they couldn't recover the onside kick in the last two minutes.

Lynch's critical touchdown to open a two-score deficit was part of an impressive second half for the runner. He also scored on a 22-yard run in the third quarter, which gave the Raiders a two-score lead at the time.

The Dolphins can at least take solace in the strides they made after their embarrassing 40-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.

Cutler, who missed the Baltimore game with a rib injury, provided an immediate spark to the Dolphins offense. He completed his first 16 passes and gave Miami an early lead by orchestrating a 10-play, 82-yard drive with six straight completions, including one to Damien Williams for a 10-yard score.

The first half was one of missed opportunity for the Dolphins, though. They wasted Cutler's hot start and kicker Cody Parkey recovering his own onside kick, falling into a 13-9 deficit at halftime.

Drake lost a fumble inside Oakland's 25-yard line, Parkey missed an extra point and breakdowns in coverage led to a 44-yard touchdown connection between Carr and Johnny Holton and a last-second 53-yard Giorgio Tavecchio field goal following a 16-yard completion to Jared Cook.

Cook consistently torched the Miami secondary, tallying eight catches for 126 yards—113 of which came in the opening half.

Perhaps Miami's secondary was having trouble seeing him downfield:

Despite a number of issues, it looked as though the Dolphins could rally for a late win after Cutler answered Lynch's first touchdown with a six-yard strike to Jarvis Landry to climb within 20-16 heading into the fourth.

It was part of a record-setting performance for Landry, who finished with six catches for 32 yards and the score:

However, the Dolphins never held a lead in the second half as they failed to make a game-changing play on either side of the ball.

Landry's score was a silver lining for Miami as it turns its attention to Week 10's Monday night clash against the Carolina Panthers. The Raiders will take their momentum from Sunday's victory into their bye before a showdown with the defending champion New England Patriots in Week 11.