Miami dominated Las Vegas 34-19 on November 17, 2024, at Hard Rock Stadium, never punting in seven possessions. The Dolphins converted 75% of red zone opportunities into touchdowns while committing zero turnovers, improving to 4-6 on the season.
Brock Bowers set an NFL rookie tight end record with 13 receptions for 126 yards despite the Raiders’ sixth consecutive loss. Tua Tagovailoa threw three touchdowns with a 127.8 passer rating while Gardner Minshew’s fourth-quarter interception sealed Las Vegas’ fate, dropping them to 2-8.
Brock Bowers caught 13 passes for 126 yards. He broke an NFL record that stood for 36 years. His team still lost by 15 points.
That contradiction tells you everything about the November 17, 2024, matchup at Hard Rock Stadium. Individual brilliance couldn’t overcome fundamental team failures. Miami executed a methodical game plan that produced six scoring drives in seven possessions. The Dolphins never punted. They committed zero turnovers. They converted critical third downs when it mattered.
Las Vegas moved the ball effectively between the 20-yard lines under interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner. But when the field shortened, the Raiders managed just one touchdown in three red zone trips. They left eight points on the field. They turned the ball over at the worst possible moment. A coverage breakdown allowed a 57-yard touchdown that crushed any comeback hopes.
The final score barely captures how thoroughly Miami controlled this game. The Dolphins improved to 4-6 while the Raiders fell to 2-8 with their sixth straight loss.
Game Summary and Final Score
Miami’s victory keeps its playoff hopes alive at 22.9% probability heading into Week 12. The Dolphins needed this win after starting 2-6. They got it by playing mistake-free football against an opponent spiraling toward a top-five draft pick.
A crowd of 65,440 watched the Dolphins convert eight of 12 third downs, averaging just 6.4 yards to go on those attempts. Tua Tagovailoa never faced truly desperate third-and-long situations. Miami stayed ahead of the chains all afternoon.
Las Vegas fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy during their bye week. Scott Turner’s debut showed better tempo but minimal results. The Raiders scored 19 points against a defense ranking 21st in points allowed per game.
This marked Miami’s second straight win after defeating the Rams 23-15 in Week 10. The Dolphins have found an identity built on ball control rather than explosive plays.
Quarterback Performance Battle
| Stat | Gardner Minshew | Tua Tagovailoa |
|---|---|---|
| Comp/Att | 30/43 (69.8%) | 28/36 (77.8%) |
| Yards | 282 | 288 |
| Yards Per Attempt | 6.6 | 8.0 |
| TD/INT | 2/1 | 3/0 |
| Passer Rating | 93.4 | 127.8 |
| Sacks-Yards Lost | 3-14 | 2-17 |
Tagovailoa’s 127.8 passer rating sits 33.5 points above his season average. He threw three touchdowns without an interception against a Raiders defense ranking 25th in pass defense.
The efficiency under pressure separates this performance. Tagovailoa faced pressure on eight dropbacks and completed five passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a 62.5% completion rate when defenders collapsed the pocket.
Minshew’s numbers look respectable until you examine the context. He averaged 6.6 yards per attempt in an era where the league average sits at 7.0. He threw 43 passes because his team trailed and couldn’t run the ball.
The fourth-quarter interception killed any comeback hopes. Trailing 24-19 with three minutes remaining, Minshew forced a pass into tight coverage. Jalen Ramsey jumped the route from the snap and intercepted at Miami’s 38-yard line. The throw represented Minshew’s 13th turnover in 10 games this season.
Brock Bowers Breaks NFL Record
Bowers caught 13 passes on 16 targets for 126 yards and a touchdown. He broke Keith Jackson’s 1988 rookie tight end record of 12 receptions in a single game.
Those 13 catches represented 43% of Las Vegas’ total receptions. His 126 yards accounted for 45% of the team’s passing output. When one player dominates the target distribution that heavily, defenses can adjust late in games.
His 23-yard touchdown came on a swing pass in the second quarter. Bowers caught the ball at the line of scrimmage, broke Jordan Poyer’s tackle, and powered into the end zone. The score cut Miami’s lead to 14-7.
Bowers now has 70 catches through 10 games. He’s on pace for 119 receptions over a full season. That would shatter Mike Ditka’s rookie tight end record of 56 catches set in 1961 by 63 receptions.
No other Raiders receiver caught more than four passes or gained more than 50 yards. Jakobi Meyers finished with four catches for 28 yards. When the supporting cast can’t produce, defenses compress coverage toward the middle, where Bowers operates.
Miami’s Receiving Balance
Jonnu Smith caught six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. The performance nearly doubled his season average of 46 yards per game.
His 57-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter effectively ended the game. Safety Isaiah Pola-Mao bit on play action while linebacker Robert Spillane followed the running back. Smith ran through the vacated middle with no defender within 15 yards.
“The red seas parted,” Smith said after the game. “It was busted coverage.”
Tyreek Hill caught seven passes for 61 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. The numbers seem modest by his standards, but they aligned with Miami’s game plan. The Dolphins spread targets across seven different receivers. Hill functioned as a possession weapon rather than a vertical threat.
Jaylen Waddle’s two catches for 37 yards reflected the spread-the-wealth approach. Miami didn’t need to force-feed their speed weapons when multiple receivers produced efficiently.
Rushing Attack Comparison
| Player | Team | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De’Von Achane | MIA | 17 | 73 | 4.3 | 1 |
| Jakobi Meyers | LV | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 |
| Alexander Mattison | LV | 5 | 19 | 3.8 | 0 |
| Zamir White | LV | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | 0 |
Achane carried 17 times for 73 yards and a touchdown. His two-yard score with 10:37 remaining extended Miami’s lead to 24-12, forcing Las Vegas into obvious passing situations.
His 30-yard burst in the third quarter set up Hill’s touchdown. Raheem Mostert exited in the second quarter with a hip injury, forcing Miami to lean heavily on Achane.
Las Vegas managed 60 yards on 16 carries. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers led all Raiders rushers with a 20-yard designed sweep. When your leading rusher is a receiver running a gadget play, your running game has fundamental problems.
Running backs Mattison and White combined for 28 yards on 10 attempts. That’s a 2.8-yard average. The Raiders entered ranking 29th in rushing yards per game at 82.4. They finished with their third-worst output of the season.
Defensive Standouts and Key Stops
Jordyn Brooks led Miami with 13 tackles. His biggest contribution came on a second-quarter goal-line stand when Las Vegas reached first-and-goal from the three-yard line.
Brooks filled the A-gap on three consecutive plays. The Raiders ran the same concept three times. Brooks diagnosed each attempt and made tackles at or behind the line. Las Vegas settled for a field goal. Those four points proved crucial.
Jalen Ramsey finished with five tackles, two pass deflections, and the game-sealing interception. His fourth-quarter pick came when Minshew forced a throw despite Ramsey jumping the route from the snap.
Miami’s pass rush generated three sacks. Rookie Chop Robinson recorded six quarterback hurries and posted a 20% pressure rate on 25 pass-rush snaps, his best game of the season.
Robert Spillane led Las Vegas with 11 tackles but was part of the coverage breakdown on Smith’s 57-yarder. Maxx Crosby finished with five tackles but no sacks. Miami’s offensive line neutralized the Raiders’ best pass rusher.
Red Zone and Critical Situations
| Team | Attempts | TDs | TD % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 4 | 3 | 75.0% |
| Las Vegas | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
Miami converted three of four red zone trips into touchdowns. That 75% rate sits 17 percentage points above the league average of 58%. Las Vegas managed one touchdown in three attempts at 33%, falling 25 points below the norm.
The Raiders’ two field goals from inside the 10-yard line represented eight points left on the field. The first failure followed a 12-play drive that reached first-and-goal from the nine but gained only eight yards on three plays. The second came after a 16-play march to first-and-goal from the eight that gained four yards on three attempts.
Miami’s red zone success came from variety in play-calling. Mike McDaniel called a fourth-and-goal pass on the opening drive and used multiple play-action concepts. Las Vegas’ predictable approach allowed Miami to stack the box.
Team Statistics Breakdown
Miami dominated time of possession 33:12 to 26:48. That’s nearly a seven-minute advantage that wore down a Raiders defense that couldn’t generate consistent stops.
The Dolphins converted eight of 12 third downs (66.7%) while averaging 6.4 yards to go. Las Vegas converted eight of 14 (57.1%) while averaging 7.8 yards to go. Miami stayed ahead of the chains.
The penalty disparity disrupted Las Vegas’ rhythm. Seven penalties for 49 yards included two false starts on third-and-manageable that killed first-half drives. Miami’s four penalties for 23 yards allowed clean execution without self-inflicted setbacks.
Both teams had seven possessions. Miami scored on six of seven. When possession counts drop, every drive matters exponentially more.
Fantasy Football Impact
Brock Bowers solidified elite TE1 status for the rest of the season. His 13 catches produced over 30 fantasy points in PPR formats. He’s averaging 11.3 targets per game over his last four contests. Start him confidently against any defense.
Tua Tagovailoa showed QB1 upside when healthy. His three-touchdown performance demonstrated the ceiling he reaches against below-average competition. Miami faces the Patriots, Jets, and Browns in its next five games.
De’Von Achane’s 21 total touches (17 carries, four catches) push him from RB2 to RB1 consideration if Mostert misses extended time. Monitor the injury report closely.
Gardner Minshew remains avoidable in all formats. His 13 turnovers in 10 games cap his upside even when he throws for 280 yards. Tyreek Hill’s quiet afternoon reminds managers that his ceiling depends on Miami needing to throw deep frequently.
What This Game Means Moving Forward
Miami improved to 4-6 with playoff odds at 22.9%. The Dolphins need at least five wins in their final seven games to reach 9-8. They host New England next week in a favorable matchup.
Las Vegas fell to 2-8 with its sixth consecutive loss. The Raiders will likely secure a top-five draft pick. Antonio Pierce’s coaching future hangs in uncertainty at 2-8 in his first full season.
Bowers’ 70 catches through 10 games already set a franchise record for tight end receptions in a season. He’s the lone bright spot in an otherwise disastrous year.
The all-time series now favors Miami 20-18-1. The Dolphins have won three of the last four meetings.