News, notes and observations:

– It’s never happened before, and it won’t now, but if I’m the agent for Tom Cable, I’m trying to talk my client to becoming the first in-season coaching holdout in NFL history during the bye week.

I’m joking, of course, but whatever Cable is being paid, Al Davis ought to double it.

Not only did Oakland pound the Dolphins into submission, it also comitted just two penalties for 15 yards, and neither of them was on the offensive line.

– How do you like Robert Gallery now?

– Or Barry Sims, who handled his business when faced with Jason Taylor (about half his snaps) and also kept Joey Porter under control.

“Today was more my day and I was happy about that,” Sims said of his battle with Taylor.

Taylor had almost as many penalties (three) as tackles (four).

– Quarterback Daunte Culpepper saved whatever in-your-face sentiments he had for the Dolphins for his touchdown celebrations, when he flashed an “OK” sign to represent the condition of his surgerically repaired right knee.

“It was really nothing personal,” Culpepper said. “Had this been any team in the NFL, I would have had the same attitude and effort to try and go out there and get a victory.”

– Culpepper became the first Raiders quarterback to rush for three touchdowns in a game since Rich Gannon had three against the Indianapolis Colts in 2000.

– Coach Lane Kiffin, by the way, wasn’t committing to Culpepper past Sunday.

– Oakland now has 11 offensive touchdowns _ only one fewer than it had in 16 games last season.

– LaMont Jordan is 10 yards shy of the 434 yards he gained in nine games last season, but his back injury could be serious enough to take him out of action for awhile.

Following the game, Jordan needed crutches to walk because his lower back would not support his weight. He lowered himself into a chair next to Justin Fargas in the locker room and winced all the way down. He declined comment.

– Said Fargas, who nearly doubled his previous career high of 90 yards rushing with 179 yards on 22 carries:

“I could see by the pain he was in on the field, I knew I was going to have to step up and pick up where he left off,” Fargas said. “You hate to see a teammate go down like that. LaMont’s a great friend of mine and you hate to see a guy in pain. It’s up to me to get him what he deserves, to go out there and fight for him.”

– Dominic Rhodes comes off suspension just in time to pick up the slack for Jordan next week.

– Ex-Raiders safety Donovin Darius, put in the game for his ability to support the run against an Oakland team averaging 159.3 yards per game coming in, led the Dolphins with nine tackles.

Darius didn’t get much help, however. The Raiders are averaging 194.3 yards per game on the ground.

“They ran it downhill and we had no answer for it,” Miami defensive end Matt Roth said. “They were getting four, five yards a carry. That’s unacceptable.”

– Thomas Howard tied teammate Kirk Morrison with his third interception, and his 28-yard return set up the Raiders’ first score. Morrison missed a chance for his fourth pick by dropping a deflection in the fourth quarter.

“I had it. I dropped it,” Morrison said. “It won’t happen again.”

– The Raiders intercepted two passes and played some solid defense, but many of their problems were glossed over by their own running game.

They had trouble locating tight end Justin Peelle, the Dublin High product who got loose for a 35-yard completion completion on fourth-and-3 to help set up one score. He was left unguarded on a 3-yard touchdown catch.

– Safeties were playing too far back when quarterback Trent Green, throwing under pressure, threw late and into the middle of the field _ a cardinal sin of the position _ and managed to hit Ronnie Brown for 15 yards in front of Michael Huff and Stuart Schweigert.

– In the game’s final moments, Nnamdi Asomugha was dropped into position as a safety so the Raiders could try to get the ball back and potentially score again.

– Run defense was shaky at times against Ronnie Brown, who had 135 yards on 15 carries. Particularly troublesome was a 60-yard run when the Dolphins were in the shadow of their own end zone.

It came against a front which included Taylor Brayton and Terdell Sands at tackles, flanked by Jay Richardson and Chris Clemons.

– Miami fans began leaving the stadium midway through the fourth quarter as the Raiders repeatedly hammered the Dolphins on the ground. Oakland ran the ball on 19 of its final 20 plays, gaining 134 yards.

(Update: Raider fans, as noted during an in-game posting, essentially took over the stadium at that point. I later learned that Miami fans pelted Raiders busses with bottles cans and whatever else they could get their hands on. A window was shattered on one bus, and its occupants were distributed among other busses in the team traveling party. Real classy).

– The last time the Raiders won on the road, Nov. 20, 2005, they beat the Washington Redskins 16-13 and a tearful Norv Turner was awarded the game ball by Sapp for beating the team that fired him.

– A perfect example on how to get past all the “conspiracy” nonsense that goes with every bad call in the NFL. Mike Williams catches what appears to be a 6-yard scoring pass from Culpepper in the first quarter, outfighting Darius for the ball.

Flag. Offensive interference.

The Raiders eventually score anyway, on a 7-yard slant from Culpepper to Jerry Porter.

It makes the call a non-issue.

– Williams got an earful from Kiffin when he threw up an arm and waved a “No. 1” finger in the air while Fargas was in the midst of a 48-yard run.

Kiffin tore off his headset and greeted Williams immediately, letting him know to keep blocking until the play was over.

– Why do the Miami Dolphins have the NFL’s top P.R. department, year year after year? A guy named Harvey Greene.

Information awaits reporters at their various hotels. Quote sheets and stats are arriving at your computer by the time you get back from the locker room.

The Raiders didn’t have the time or material to figure out when the last time they had as many rushing yards as they did Sunday night.

So the Dolphins looked it up. The last time Oakland had more yards than 299 was Nov. 30, 1987, when the Bo Jackson-led Raiders rushed for a team record 356 against the Seattle Seahawks.

In the final game of the 2002 season, Oakland ran for 280 yards in a 24-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

– The Raiders do not have to report to Alameda until Wedensday.

Scoring

Oakland — Jerry Porter 27-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper (Sebastian Janikowski kicks PAT).

Oakland–Culppepper 3-yard run (Janikowski kick) :23.

Notes:

– The Raiders ran the ball on 10 consecutive plays, moving from their own 21 to the Miami 27 with 8:14 remaining in the game. Facing third-and-7, Oakland has rushed for 217 yards but are facing a passing situation.

Was Culpepper a little rusty from not having thrown the ball in so long?

Nope. He stepped back and hit Jerry Porter down the right sideline for a 27-yard touchdown and a 28-17 lead.

Oakland regained momentum with an 11-play, 79-yard drive which consumed 7:10 of the clock.

– Justin Fargas has 100 yards rushing on 14 carries.

– After the Dolphins went three-and-out with 6:22 to play, fans began streaming for the exits as Oakland took possession, looking to end a 12-game road losing streak.

– Justin Fargas rushed for 32 yards to the 50-yard line as the stands were essentially taken over by Raider fans. Fargas followed it up with a 13-yard run.

– With third-and-8 on the 35-yard line, the Raiders called time out with 3:12 to play following a play in which Fargas lost the ball but was ruled down. Miami has challenged the ruling and will lose its last timeout if incorrect.

Fargas’ knee was ruled down, and the Raiders keep the ball.

– Fargas took a long handoff from Culpepper and raced 27 yards to the Miami 8-yard line. Fargas has 173 yards on 20 carries at the 2-minute warning.

– Culpepper rushed for 3 yards and the final touchdown with 23 seconds to play, giving the Raiders 299 yards rushing.

Culpepper threw for two touchdowns and ran for three touchdowns.