The Miami Dolphins (1-2) threw themselves into the news grinder this week when head coach Joe Philbin declined to name Ryan Tannehill the team's starting quarterback for their Week 4 matchup with the Oakland Raiders (0-3). While Tannehill will open the game under center for Miami, this rift with his head coach suggests that his tenure with the team could be coming to an end if the former first-round pick doesn't turn around his performance.
Dolphins vs. Raiders 2014 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Amid a self-imposed quarterback controversy, the Miami Dolphins travel to London to take on the winless Oakland Raiders.
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The Raiders don't have any quarterback controversy, but there's still plenty of questions to be answered about rookie Derek Carr. The offense has struggled to move the ball through the air with Carr at the controls, and as a result, Oakland has lost each of its first three games.
Neither Miami nor Oakland can salvage the season with a win in Week 4, but a loss could plunge either into a hole that will be near impossible to crawl out of. Only 21 teams have started a season 1-3 and come back to make the postseason since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule. Only one went 0-4 to start out the season and qualified for the playoffs.
This game is the first of three the NFL is playing in London as part of its International Series. The Dolphins have played in the UK before; they opened International Series play at Wembley Stadium in 2007 (with a loss to the Giants). The Raiders have yet to play in London.
How to watch
Where: Wembley Stadium, London
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Announcers: Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Jenny Dell
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
Odds
Miami is a 3½-point favorite, with an over/under of 40½ points in the game, per Odds Shark.
Nuts and bolts
Besides their 33-point explosion against the New England Patriots Week 1, the Dolphins have failed to hit or surpass 20 points in a game. The lack of offensive production may play a role in why Miami has toyed with the idea of benching Tannehill. Just as problematic, their defense is allowing an average of 27.6 points per game, fourth worst in the NFL.
Through three starts, Raiders quarterback Carr has averaged 5.44 yards per attempt, 196 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. He hasn’t received much help from his run game, which has yet to feature a rusher with over 60 yards in a given game. Because of the joint failures of Oakland’s aerial attack and ground game, the Raiders sit at 14.6 points per game, worst in the league.
Further reading
For more on the Dolphins, check out The Phinsider. For further coverage on the Raiders, head on over to Silver and Black Pride.
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