Okay, I gotta say straight off, I don't give a shit about the Fins, so I don't know too much about them.  So I'm gonna start off saying what I do know, and why I'm a little bit concerned about this game, frankly.

1) I feel like w/the way the Chargers are playing, if we drop this game and fall behind them by a game, and KC probably by 2 games, we are done this season.  If we can't bounce back at home and defeat the Dolphins, their schedules are too easy and ours too hard for us to catch them, realistically.

2) I know they're hella banged up, down to third-string QB in Tyler Thigpen.  He's nobody special, but he is mobile, and the Raiders have traditionally had issues w/mobile QB's.  Pretty sure he's beaten us as a Chief before in the past.

3) I haven't heard of the status of CJ, but there's at least some chance that both he and Nnamdi could be out, and if not, they may not be playing at full speed.  The Fins have one excellent receiver in Marshall, and very competent ones in Hartline and Bess.  This situation concerns me, despite it being Thigpen in there.

4) Dolphins are playing very solid defense this year, although, like us, they are better against the pass than the run, statistically.  They can get after the QB, maybe not like Pitt can, but they are good up front against the pass.  They don't allow a lot of points to be scored.

5) Dolphins are playing very well on the Road (4-1), they got embarrassed last week like Pitt did, and their season is on the line, just like ours is.

So, anyways, this is my concern, dudes.  We absolutely cannot afford to lose this game.  And neither can the Fins.  I think our advantage lies in the fact that they aren't a great run defense, and the fact that they are probably significantly demoralized by being down to their 3rd string QB, and having so many guys out hurt.  Plus it's in O-Town.

I consider a victory by no means a given, though.  This has the makings of a 'trap' kind of game, playing a feisty and competent (esp. on the road) opponent who's back is to the wall,  that has a number of playmakers at positions where they might be able to exploit our injuries.  This is the kinda game where, in the past 7 years, the old Raiders would let us down.  Usually this scenario was happening in like Game 5 when we're like 1-3 and facing Denver or something like that, though, instead of Game 11 at 5-5 and one game out of first, but ... you know what I'm saying.

Not to sound like the proverbial Captain Obvious, but I think this game is going to come down to getting the running game on track, not turning it over, not a bunch of self-destructing penalties, and getting after Thigpen.

Your thoughts?