Philbin gets first victory for Miami

Joe Philbin claimed his first victory as a head coach on Sunday when the Miami Dolphin beat the Oakland Raiders, 35-13.

After losing all four pre-season games and last week's opening game, Dolphins fans were wondering if the mild-mannered 51-year-old from Green Bay was the right man to motivate a team few expect to challenge in the AFC East this year.

A "fly on the wall" television documentary series, Hard Knocks, did little to help his image, showing him obsessing about litter and shoelaces.

But when the Dolphins won on Sunday, all the plaudits went to Philbin, who joined Miami after serving as offensive coordinator with the Packers.

The players showered him with ice from the team's drinks container, in full view of the public, then Dolphins owner Stephen marched into the team locker-room and handed him the game ball.

"I think it was great," Ross told reporters. "We're on to something, the first of many."

There are tougher challenges ahead for the Dolphins, but for a team that was written off by most experts before the season even began, the win at least showed they have some of the components needed to be competitive.

Rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill had a good home debut, with no interceptions. He completed 18 of 30 pass attempts for 200 yards, throwing one touchdown and running in another.

Running back Reggie Bush confirmed his status as the key player in the Dolphins' offense with two touchdowns as he rushed for 172 yards, and was well supported by Lamar Miller who had one touchdown and 65 yards.

The Miami defense restricted the Raiders to 23 rushing yards.

Reuters