Raise your hand if you thought the Miami Dolphins would go 2-0 . . . I know I did and I can prove it. That notwithstanding, one thing I wasn’t prepared to predict was how they won the game.

The 2017 Dolphins were the second most penalized team in the league with nearly nine flags accepted against them per game. Against the New York Jets on the road in MetLife Stadium, they only recorded two penalties for 10 yards in their 20-12 win. Further proof that Head Coach Adam Gase improved his team’s discipline in 2018 is their superior performance in the red zone as they converted two of three attempts, compared to the Jets not converting a single one.

If the Dolphins can continue to play this brand of football, one can only predict a good outcome when they face the Oakland Raiders in Hard Rock Stadium. The last time these two franchises met on the field was in South Florida in an evenly-matched affair. Oakland’s quarterback Derek Carr only managed 11 yards more in the air than Jay Cutler throwing to his tight end Jared Cook for 126 yards on eight catches.

16 of those receiving yards set up a field goal at the end of the first half that made the difference in the Raiders 27-24 victory.

Here are some ways things may go better for the Dolphins this time around: