Ashton Jeanty’s two touchdown catches help Raiders keep Dolphins chasing in 27-13 Las Vegas win

Jeanty turned steady offense into points

Las Vegas set the tone by getting the first touchdown and then making Miami play from behind all day. Jack Bech opened the scoring on a 15-yard pass from Kirk Cousins with 1:33 left in the first quarter, and Matt Gay stretched the margin to 10-0 on a 47-yard field goal at 10:22 of the second. It was not a barrage. It was a measured start that matched the Raiders’ broader statistical edge: 21 first downs, 67 offensive plays and nearly 35 minutes of possession.

The player who gave that control real weight was Ashton Jeanty. He ran 23 times for 102 yards, added six catches for 45 more and caught two touchdowns, both from 13 yards out. The first came at 1:07 of the second quarter after Miami had gotten on the board, restoring a two-score cushion at 17-3. The second came at 9:58 of the third, just after the Dolphins had cut the deficit to four. That repeat answer was the defining feature of the game. Every time Miami hinted at a swing, Jeanty showed up at the finish line.

Cousins’ line was a study in contrasts: 21 completions on 30 attempts, only 160 yards, three touchdown passes and two interceptions. He was not explosive, but he was efficient where the scoreboard matters most. Bech supplied one touchdown, Jeanty supplied two, and Michael Mayer’s six catches helped keep the chains moving even without a big-yardage passing day. The Raiders finished 3-for-4 in the red zone, and that was the cleanest difference between these teams.

Miami got close enough to matter, not close enough to seize it

The Dolphins had stretches that suggested a tighter finish was available. Riley Patterson hit from 41 yards with 4:08 left in the second quarter, then added a 37-yarder at 0:00 before halftime to make it 17-6. Miami opened the third quarter with its best scoring play, a 14-yard touchdown run by Malik Willis at 12:44, and suddenly the game was 17-13. For a brief window, the Raiders looked reachable.

But the reach ended quickly. Jeanty’s second touchdown catch came less than three minutes later, pushing the lead back to 24-13, and Gay’s 30-yard field goal at 2:34 of the third closed the scoring at 27-13. The fourth quarter then passed without a point from either side, which says plenty about how firmly Las Vegas regained control after Miami’s surge.

Willis supplied some of Miami’s most productive moments by himself. He rushed six times for 39 yards and the touchdown, while Caleb Douglas led the receiving group with five catches for 94 yards and Malik Washington added three receptions for 53. De'Von Achane contributed 36 rushing yards and 30 receiving yards. There was also juice in the return game, especially Jaylen Wright’s 106 kick-return yards on two runbacks. Still, the overall offensive picture stayed stubborn: 13 first downs, 2-for-10 on third down, only one touchdown in three red-zone trips, five sacks allowed and two turnovers. That is too much drag for a comeback to last.

Our take: pressure and finishing decided it, and both teams still left notes to themselves

Our take: the Raiders won this game at the junction of pass rush and patience. Miami’s offense was sacked five times for 35 lost yards, and Las Vegas spread that pressure around: Kwity Paye had two sacks and four quarterback hits, Maxx Crosby added 1.5 sacks and three hits, and Nakobe Dean chipped in a sack of his own. The total was 11 quarterback hits. When a team is already going 2-for-10 on third down, that kind of disruption does not just end drives; it shrinks the playbook and keeps the scoreboard leaning the other way. If Miami is looking for the clearest area to clean up, protection and drive discipline sit right at the top, and the evidence is on the stat sheet alongside eight penalties for 61 yards and a 1-for-3 red-zone mark.

Our take: Las Vegas should be pleased with the win and honest about the loose edges. The Raiders never gave up the lead, yet they still turned the ball over twice on Cousins interceptions and averaged only 4.3 yards per play. Their passing game produced three touchdowns, but only 160 yards, with a longest completion of 21. Against Miami on this day, the run volume, red-zone success and defensive pressure covered that. On another day, two interceptions and a middling third-down rate of 5-for-13 could make the margin much thinner. For now, though, the formula worked because Jeanty gave the offense a dependable center, and the defense made sure Miami’s one good push remained only that.

Scoring moments

1. Period 1 · 1:33

   Jack Bech 15 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Matt Gay Kick)

2. Period 2 · 10:22

   Matt Gay 47 Yd Field Goal

3. Period 2 · 4:08

   Riley Patterson 41 Yd Field Goal

4. Period 2 · 1:07

   Ashton Jeanty 13 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Matt Gay Kick)

5. Period 2 · 0:00

   Riley Patterson 37 Yd Field Goal

6. Period 3 · 12:44

   Malik Willis 14 Yd Rush (Riley Patterson Kick)

7. Period 3 · 9:58

   Ashton Jeanty 13 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Matt Gay Kick)

8. Period 3 · 2:34

   Matt Gay 30 Yd Field Goal