MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. _ Miami Dolphins fans were not shy to share their displeasure with the offense by booing early in the first half on Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders.
Those feelings surely did not last for long.
Dolphins speedster Jakeem Grant scored two touchdowns, newcomer Albert Wilson high-fived Grant before he put the finishing touches on the game with a touchdown of his own, and Xaiven Howard had two interceptions for the Dolphins in a 28-20 win over the Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium.
Dolphins fans left elated with joy after their team improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2013, and for the fourth time in the last 20 years.
And just like Miami won its first two games of the season, this contest took some grit to grind out as well.
The Dolphins, who started the game with safety Reshad Jones (shoulder) inactive, became riddled with injuries during the course of the game, and saw defensive tackle Akeem Spence ejected at a pivotal point in the first half, and were unable to find a rhythm offensively despite several big plays that led Miami to victory.
A Ryan Tannehill hand off to running back Frank Gore was flipped to Wilson and tossed to a wide-open Grant for a 52-yard touchdown that helped the Dolphins take their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter.
Safety T.J. McDonald dropped an interception, and backup cornerback Torry McTyer was hit with a pass interference call on the ensuing possession that nearly spoiled the game for the Dolphins.
But Howard was able to pick off Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who took a wicked hit from defensive end Cameron Wake, with less than three minutes left.
And the Dolphins put the icing on the contest with Tannehill connecting with Wilson for a 74-yard touchdown one minute later to help Miami begin a season 3-0 against AFC opponents for the first time since 2001 _ one of the previous three times it made the playoffs.
Oakland used a methodical 15-play drive that ate up 9:44 of the clock and ended with Marshawn Lynch leaping at the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown to take a 17-7 lead earlier.
The Dolphins answered quickly with Grant's first touchdown, 18-yard score in the final minute of the third quarter. Tannehill was credited with the touchdown pass after shoveling it to Grant, who sped into the end zone.
The Raiders entered the game 0-2 with only three touchdowns scored in the first two weeks, but needed less than two minutes to get on the scoreboard first quarter against the Dolphins.
Raiders receiver Jordy Nelson took early advantage of Jones being inactive, to catch a 67-yard pass from Carr on the second play from scrimmage. Nelson later scored on a 12-yard touchdown in the first 1:26 minutes of the game.
The Dolphins defense got some early stops on the Raiders, halting a fullback dive on fourth down at the goal line, and with Howard intercepting a deep Carr pass earlier in the first half.
But after Wake's first sack of the season, Spence was ejected after incurring an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for ripping the helmet off of Raiders offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, and swinging it while falling to the field.
The penalty and Spence's ejection was especially unfavorable for the Dolphins, who stayed on the field and were unable to capitalized on momentum after Tannehill's 34-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kenny Stills tied the game at 7 on the previous drive.
The Raiders' Mike Nugent kicked a 25-yard, resulting in a 10-7 lead with 3:34 left before halftime. Nugent added a 52-yard field goal with 20 seconds left to cap the scoring.
