The Raiders scored 20 points in the first half, recorded 140 rushing yards, and forced four turnovers to shut out the Dolphins in their first home playoff game since returning to Oakland from Los Angeles in 1995, which occurred in 1980. In the first quarter, Miami threatened to score first with a drive to Oakland's 17-yard line, but Tory James intercepted quarterback Jay Fiedler's pass and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown. After a Dolphins punt, Oakland drove 41 yards in 10 plays to score on Sebastian Janikowski's 36-yard field goal. The next time they got the ball, Oakland advanced 78 yards, featuring a 32-yard completion from Rich Gannon to running back Terry Kirby, and scored on Jankikowski's 33-yard field goal to go up 13-0 early in the second quarter.