The weren't many smiles to be found on the faces of Oakland Raiders defenders Sunday after RB Reggie Bush ran for a career-high 172 yards and two touchdowns in the Miami Dolphins' 35-13 victory.
According to Paul Gutierrez of CSN Bay Area, Bush said the Dolphin's mission all along was to "break their spirit a little bit." And if the words of Raiders DT Tommy Kelly are shared by the rest of the active roster, Miami succeeded:
"It's just embarrassing. I didn't see this coming, the way we practiced all week, I didn't see this coming. The way we started in the first half, I didn't foresee 35 (points) at the end of the game."
Additionally, Kelly also felt that he and his teammates "left [their] game in the locker room," a point that was reinforced by the Dolphins' four touchdowns in the second half.
Overall, the Raiders defense wilted to the tune of 452 total yards allowed, including 263 yards on the ground. Oakland first-year head coach Dennis Allen felt that poor tackling was to blame for the performance but they weren't much better from a coverage standpoint with rookie QB Ryan Tannehill (18-of-30, 200 yards, two total touchdowns) operating an effective attack out of the no huddle.
With the schedule not getting any easier as the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) head into town next Sunday, the Raiders (0-2) may already be wondering if they're destined for another top-five draft selection in 2013. But while Kelly was clearly upset, he still believes that this team has more potential than some of the more mediocre Raiders squads of recent history:
"This is different," Kelly said, "because we're a whole lot better than we were when we went 2-14 and 4-12. I think we have a way better team. We're more talented, we have better, younger talented players. But you have to be able to produce on Sunday, and we aren't."
For more Raiders coverage, head on over to Silver and Black Pride.