Hooper, Mayer Could Be O'Connell's Equalizers on Sunday

The Las Vegas Raiders are on a two-game winning streak as they prepare to face the Miami Dolphins, one of the better teams in the National Football League.

Interim Offensive Coordinator Bo Hardegree has spoken about his passion for watching film of his opponents. Hardegree has probably noticed that in two of the Dolphins' three losses, opposing tight ends had serviceable games against Miami's defense.

Hardegree probably also recognizes the similarities between the offensive threats on those teams -- the Buffalo Bills, the Philadelphia Eagles -- and the Raiders' offense.

Both teams have respectable rushing attacks with multiple options at wide receiver, leaving talented tight ends in favorable positions. The Raiders do as well.

Both of those teams rushed for nearly 100 yards against the Dolphins. The Raiders have averaged nearly 100 yards rushing in the last two games.

The Bills and Eagles finding success with their running backs and tight ends against the Dolphins' defense could bode well for Las Vegas tight ends Michael Mayer and Austin Hooper.

“I think both him [Michael Mayer] and [Austin] Hooper and Jesper [Horsted], just all our tight ends, are really good players," rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell said.

"They are really smart guys to be in the system. They have to know a lot in the running game and in the passing game, and Michael has done an awesome job."

O'Connell shared what he's noticed about Mayer.

"He works super hard," O'Connell said. "He's coached very hard. He takes the game very seriously. He's here early, he's here late. He tries to act like a pro, and we're both rookies trying to figure it out together. So, it's been fun to see his development.”

O'Connell shared that while the offense trusts the defense, their main focus is playing better, so the defense doesn't have to do as much.

“I think we have a lot of trust in our defense," O'Connell said. "They’ve played awesome the last two weeks and have really played lights out.

"I think we have enough to worry about on our side of the football that we're not really looking to the other side of the football. We've got to control what we control on every play and just try to do our jobs.”

The defense can't be expected to play a great game every Sunday, as it has the last two weeks. There is no better time for the Raiders' offense to lighten the load on the defense's shoulders than on Sunday against a team with arguably the best offense in the NFL.

The Silver and Black will head out on the road to South Beach to take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.

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