They held Lamar Smith to 4 yards in eight carries. The Raiders expect a different Lamar Smith. He and his line won't be playing a road game six days after he carried 40 times for 209 yards, as he did in the first round against Indianapolis last season. Finish with the defense, because the Raiders did that, too. Quarterback Rich Gannon had to scramble often, and he gained 31 yards in five carries.
Nobody expects that to happen again.
The Dolphins ranked fourth in the NFL in defense last season. Middle linebacker Zach Thomas was the AFC's defensive player of the week with 12 tackles and a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown against Tennessee. Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain form one of the best cornerback tandems in the league. The Dolphins lost Armstrong and Webb, but they went the other way at receiver, their most glaring weakness last season. James McKnight, signed from Dallas, and second-round pick Chris Chambers are making up for the absence of O.J. McDuffie, who hasn't recovered from the injured left big toe that plagued him last year.