Miami
Dolphins
0-0
35
FINAL
38
Las Vegas
Raiders
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an electrifying season opener, the Las Vegas Raiders narrowly defeated the Miami Dolphins 38-35, showcasing a thrilling battle that set the tone for the 2026 season. Both teams came into this matchup eager to make a statement, but it was the Raiders who emerged victorious, starting their campaign on a high note.
Las Vegas quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the star of the evening, tossing four touchdown passes while connecting on key plays throughout the game. Ashton Jeanty was a force on the ground, racking up 146 rushing yards and keeping the Miami defense on its heels. Additionally, Dont'e Thornton Jr. made a significant impact, leading all receivers with an impressive 215 receiving yards, making crucial catches that kept drives alive.
The Raiders' defense played a critical role in sealing the victory with a key interception from Michael Taaffe that thwarted a potential game-winning drive from Miami. Despite the Dolphins' Malik Willis putting up impressive passing numbers with 322 yards, the Raiders' ability to pressure the quarterback, including a sack from Nakobe Dean, proved pivotal. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when the Raiders' defense stepped up, forcing the Dolphins to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown, ultimately allowing Las Vegas to hold on for the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Willis | QB | 28 | 17 | 322 | 3 | 1 | 121.4 |
| Fernando Mendoza | QB | 22 | 13 | 314 | 4 | 1 | 124.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton Jeanty | HB | 18 | 146 | 8.1 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Malik Willis | QB | 3 | 58 | 19.3 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 14 | 37 | 2.6 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Fernando Mendoza | QB | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr | HB | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Malik Benson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dont'e Thornton Jr | WR | 4 | 215 | 53.8 | 3 | 83 | 0 |
| Chris Bell | WR | 4 | 125 | 31.3 | 1 | 71 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 3 | 78 | 26.0 | 0 | 62 | 0 |
| Caleb Douglas | WR | 5 | 69 | 13.8 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| Malik Benson | WR | 2 | 50 | 25.0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Ashton Jeanty | HB | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Jalen Tolbert | WR | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Malik Washington | WR | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Tre Tucker | WR | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Greg Dulcich | TE | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Michael Mayer | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Brock Bowers | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mike Washington Jr | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darien Porter | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Michael Taaffe | FS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nakobe Dean | MIKE | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Rodriguez | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chris Johnson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Murphy-Bunting | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quay Walker | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxx Crosby | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordyn Brooks | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Treydan Stukes | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Louis | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eric Stokes | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| A'Shawn Robinson | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy Chinn | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kenneth Grant | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant Delpit | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrell Baker Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dalton Johnson | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Sieler | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonah Laulu | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taron Johnson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JuJu Brents | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Pola-Mao | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jermod McCoy | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Marshall Jr | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tonka Hemingway | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Pinion | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Slye | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| A.J. Cole | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Gay | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 31 |

