Raiders, Dolphins offer little SNF intrigue

The Oakland Raiders are visiting the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night. Normally, that slot is reserved for exciting teams playing with postseason aspirations. Not so much this time around.

To be fair, one could argue that these two teams are hoping to play in January. Miami is 4-3 despite being pounded 40-0 on Thursday night a week ago against the Baltimore Ravens. In fact, the Dolphins are tied for the final AFC wild card spot, which says much more about the conference than it does about the Dolphins.

Meanwhile, Oakland is sitting at 3-5 after being thoroughly waxed by the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, 34-14. The Raiders are on life support, stuck in last place of the AFC West. Still, a victory could get Oakland within a game of the postseason picture.

So why the side eye for this game? Because the teams have just been lousy to this point in the campaign. Jay Cutler and Matt Moore have taken turns playing bad football under center in Miami, and with the trade of Jay Ajayi to the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, the Dolphins are down another weapon. Frankly, Miami is the kind of team that unless you’re really into Jarvis Landry, there is little reason to turn on the television. Factor in an apathetic home crowd, and the sell is tough.

On the other hand, Oakland has all kinds of talent that is recognizable to the average fan. Derek Carr was an MVP candidate last year, and the combination of Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper on the outside is juicy. Add running back Marshawn Lynch and All-Pro linebacker/defensive end Khalil Mack to the mix, and there is reason to watch the Raiders —  at least on paper. Unfortunately, Oakland has been underwhelming this year with one of the league’s worst offenses and a defense that can’t stop anybody.

If there is any redeeming quality to this game, it’s that both are still battling for relevance in a conference with three great teams and not much else. Oakland and Miami both have to feel like a win here could turn their fortunes and perhaps get them rolling in the right direction, even if that only means a trek toward 8-9 wins.

For NBC’s sake, hopefully the game features some big plays from the likes of Cooper, Landry, Carr and others. If not, it could be one of the uglier games we’ve seen in some time for the Sunday night slot, which has typically been the week’s best showcase.