The opening drive showed how much the Raiders could accomplish with short gains. They traveled 93 yards in 16 plays, consuming 8:58 before Kirk Cousins hit Jack Bech for a 15-yard touchdown. Las Vegas' official recap credited Cousins with completing all nine of his passes on that possession.
Matt Gay's 47-yard field goal made it 10-0. After Miami answered with a field goal, Cousins found Jeanty for a 13-yard score with 1:07 left in the half. Riley Patterson's second kick sent the Dolphins into the locker room trailing 17-6.
Miami briefly changed the game after halftime. Michael Taaffe intercepted Cousins, and Malik Willis finished the ensuing four-play, 52-yard possession with a 14-yard touchdown run. The Dolphins were within 17-13 with 12:44 remaining in the third quarter.
Las Vegas answered in five plays. A long Dylan Laube kickoff return supplied midfield field position, and another 13-yard Cousins-to-Jeanty touchdown pushed the lead back to 11. Treydan Stukes intercepted Willis on Miami's next possession; Gay's 30-yard field goal later extended the margin to 27-13.
The Raiders' pass rush protected that lead through a scoreless fourth quarter. Kwity Paye finished with two sacks, Maxx Crosby had 1.5 and Nakobe Dean added one. Las Vegas sacked Willis five times for 35 lost yards and held Miami to two conversions in 10 third-down attempts.
Cousins completed 21 of 30 passes for 160 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He was not sacked. Michael Mayer caught six passes for 32 yards, while Mike Washington Jr. contributed 41 rushing yards on seven carries.
Those contributions mattered with Brock Bowers inactive. Adam Hill's pregame reporting in the Las Vegas Review-Journal identified Bowers' knee injury and the additional responsibility facing Mayer and the running game. Sunday's production gave Las Vegas several ways to finish drives without its top tight end.
Willis went 15 of 27 for 220 passing yards and an interception, adding 39 rushing yards. Caleb Douglas led Miami with five catches for 94 yards, but De'Von Achane managed 36 yards on 11 carries. Miami finished with 259 total yards and only 13 first downs.
Jeremy Chinn forced Malik Washington to fumble on Miami's final possession, and Quay Walker recovered. Cousins then took three knees to finish a game in which Las Vegas controlled the ball for 34:53 and Miami never scored again after Willis' touchdown.
The Raiders shared their game report after securing the opening win.
