Setting the Stage for the Dolphins-Raiders Week 1 Matchup

The Miami Dolphins will begin their new chapter with new head coach Jeff Hafley and new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan when they face the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.

Here's all the pertinent info for this Week 1 Dolphins-Raiders matchup:

MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-0) vs. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (0-0)

DATE: Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026

TIME: 4:25 p.m. ET

SITE: Allegiant Stadium; Las Vegas, Nevada

TV: FOX

Announcers: Chris Meyers (play-by-play), Mark Schlereth (color analyst), Jen Hale (sideline)

FanDuel line: Raiders by 3 (over/under 39.5)

FINAL INJURY REPORT

Dolphins — No player has a game status designation

Raiders — TE Brock Bowers (knee) is out

SERIES HISTORY

Regular season series history: Dolphins lead 20-18-1

Last five meetings:

Nov. 17, 2024 at Miami — Dolphins 34, Raiders 19

Nov. 19, 2023 at Miami — Dolphins 20, Raiders 13

Sept. 26, 2021 at Las Vegas — Raiders 31, Dolphins 28 (OT)

Dec. 26, 2020 at Las Vegas — Dolphins 26, Raiders 25

Sept. 23, 2018 at Miami — Dolphins 28, Raiders 20

Dolphins' largest margin of victory: 24 (2014 at London; Dolphins 38, Raiders 14)

Dolphins' largest margin of defeat: 26 (1968 at Miami; Raiders 47, Dolphins 21)

Highest-scoring matchup: 79 points (1984 at Miami; Raiders 45, Dolphins 34)

Lowest-scoring matchup: 16 points (1979 at Oakland; Raiders 13, Dolphins 3)

Former Raiders players with the Dolphins:

None

Former Raiders coaches with the Dolphins:

Assistant tight ends coach Lemuel Jeanpierre

Former Dolphins players with the Raiders:

DT Adam Butler

Former Dolphins coaches with the Raiders:

Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, assistant defensive line coach Kenyon Jackson, defensive assistant Steve Ferentz

INSIDE THE MATCHUP

RAIDERS SCOUTING REPORT

Like the Dolphins, the Raiders are starting over with a new head coach and a new quarterback, though first overall pick Fernando Mendoza will start the season watching and learning behind veteran Kirk Cousins. Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks last season, became the Raiders' sixth head coach in six years when he succeeded Pete Carroll, Antonio Pierce, Josh McDaniels, Rich Bisaccia and Jon Gruden. Las Vegas is hoping to rebound after a disastrous 3-14 season and was active in free agency, signing center Tyler Lindenbaum to the richest contract ever for his position and adding starting linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, a former first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers. The Raiders have three marquee players with 2025 sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty, who will play Sunday despite sustaining an ankle injury in training camp, defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers, though Bowers will miss the game after recently undergoing a knee procedure.

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WHY THE DOLPHINS WILL WIN ...

The Dolphins hardly could have asked for a more favorable matchup to open the Jeff Hafley era than the Raiders, a franchise with exactly two winning seasons in the past 23 years. Cousins is a solid veteran to serve as a bridge until the Raiders decide to throw Mendoza into the fray, but he's more backup than starter at this stage of his career. And the Dolphins made him even less than that last October when he was with the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami defense harassed during their 34-10 victory. The significance of Bowers' absence also can't be overstated because he's easily the Raiders' best offensive player. While the Raiders helped their secondary with the addition of longtime Bills slot corner Taron Johnson, they enter the season with questions about their run defense, which plays into Miami's hands.

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WHY THE DOLPHINS WILL LOSE ...

There's just so much unknown with this Dolphins team heading into the first year of the rebuilding project under GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley that it's impossible to predict how it will look in its first regular season game. There's something positive about having so many rookies and young players expected to play key roles right away because of what it means for the future, but with it comes the inevitable growing pains and rookie mistakes, and in some cases a feeling-out process that takes some time. More tangibly, the Dolphins enter the season with major question marks with their pass defense because of concern with the pass rush and the lack of any known quantity in the secondary. And then there's the great unknown with Malik Willis as he enters his first opening-day start as an NFL quarterback.

FINAL DOLPHINS-RAIDERS PREDICTION

If we are to believe former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, now in his second career as podcaster and analyst, the Dolphins losing this game could pave the way for a historic (not in a good way) 0-17 season. We're not buying that in the first place, but would add the idea will be squashed from the start. While we logically won't be predicting many wins this season because of the youth and make-up of the Dolphins roster, it's not like Las Vegas is loaded and the Dolphins pulling off a win at Allegiant Stadium would constitute a major upset. The offense, assuming it can keep Crosby from creating too much havoc, should be able to have some success with De'Von Achane's running and Malik Willis' running and throwing, enough to counteract whatever Cousins and Jeanty can produce for the Raiders. No, the Dolphins won't win many games in 2026 (or least shouldn't), but this is one they can take and will say will take. Dolphins 27, Raiders 24

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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