MIAMI -- Most NFL defensive coordinators watch tape of the Oakland Raiders in the week leading up to playing them and can't sleep, can't eat and watch the minutes tick by to Sunday as if they were waiting for their execution on death row.

Not Jim Bates.

Jason Taylor and the Dolphins made life miserable for Rich Gannon.(AP)

No need to worry, my guys match up well with them.

His guys did more than match up. They essentially shut down the Oakland offense as Miami beat the Raiders 23-17 on a sun-splashed Sunday at Pro Player Stadium. The 9-5 Dolphins move to a half-game lead in the AFC East pending Monday night's New England-Tennessee game.

"Seeing the film last week, I liked what I saw," said Bates. "I knew we could match up with them."

He knew because he had the perfect ingredients to play the Oakland offense. He has a front four that can get to the quarterback without blitzing, plus two outstanding cover corners in Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison. In the coaching manual on how to beat the Raiders, it says that's exactly what you need.

The Raiders have carved up the rest of the NFL behind quarterback Rich Gannon by methodically killing zone coverage. With veteran receivers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown, two of three receivers in league history with 1,000 catches, the Raiders know how to find soft spots in zones. That's why they came into Sunday's game averaging 311.8 passing yards per game.

With Surtain and Madison and nickel back Jamar Fletcher sticking to Rice, Brown and Jerry Porter all day, Gannon was unable to get into any groove. Those three combined to catch eight passes for 106 yards. Rice and Brown each caught three for 30 yards.

In addition to the right people in the secondary, Bates also knew he had Jason Taylor up front. Taylor should be the NFL defensive player of the year. He had three sacks Sunday, beating up on a good tackle in Barry Sims, and now has an NFL-high 17 on the year.

Even the mighty Silver and Black attack can't handle the sack.

At 245 pounds, Taylor set the tempo for the Miami defense on the game's first series. His first three plays went like this: Missed sack that he should have had, sack, sack.

"To come out early and have success early and get after the quarterbacks a little bit, it sets the tone for the team and for yourself," said Taylor. "It puts a little something in the offensive linemen's minds and in Gannon's mind, too. No quarterback likes to be hit and pushed around in the pocket. They all want to sit back there and be comfortable, pick and choose where to throw the ball. If you can take them out of the rhythm, it usually reaps good benefits."

Gannon is certainly a rhythm passer. It's why he leads the league in passing yards and has 10 300-yard games this season. He was on pace to break Dan Marino's single-season mark for passing yards, but the Dolphins did their alumnus a favor Sunday.

Gannon completed 17 of 31 passes for 204 yards. He's now on pace to throw for 5,039 yards, which would leave him short of Marino's record of 5,084.

"We were trying everything against their secondary," said Raiders coach Bill Callahan. "Their defensive backfield is physical, they're aggressive and they maul you at the line of scrimmage. They are unique, and that is why they are the number one defense in our conference. They have shut-down corners who are young and can cover receivers like a blanket."

Because they do, Miami has now beaten the Raiders (9-5) five consecutive times in the regular season (Oakland won 27-0 in the 2000 playoffs), including each of the past two seasons. In those two games, Rice and Brown combined for a total of 10 catches for 87 yards.

Lesson learned: Old and smart doesn't beat young speed in the secondary. When pressed by good young corners such as Surtain and Madison, the Raiders receivers suddenly start looking their age.

"They don't see man-to-man ever," said Miami linebacker Zach Thomas. "Everyone plays zone, so that's why they sit in their spots."

Those spots weren't available, and the Dolphins defensive front was able to get to Gannon. The Oakland offensive line is generally regarded as one of the best in the NFL, giving up just 26 sacks despite throwing more passes than any other team this season.

Jason Taylor celebrates after a sterling effort Sunday. (AP)

"When they don't have time, and you make the quarterback move around, they get a little jittery, especially with our press coverage," said Taylor.

Seeing Taylor coming off the corner can bring jitters, too. His basketball-like physique makes him one of the fastest edge rushers in the NFL. There had been questions about his run play before this season, but Taylor has become good at that as well.

Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks and Bucs defensive end Simeon Rice have loud cases to be the defensive player of the year, but no one deserves it more right now than Taylor.

Even when he had the wind knocked out of him during one play, he chased down Gannon. Some guys would have quit and fallen over, but not Taylor.

"He (Taylor) has a way of making everybody's play rise up to another level," said Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt.

Even with the suffocating performance by the defense, Miami didn't have the game sealed until Surtain made a leaping interception of a long Gannon heave at the Miami 18 with 1:43 left in the game.

Miami had jumped to a 17-3 lead after quarterback Jay Fiedler exploited a depleted Oakland secondary that was without corners Charles Woodson and Tory James. That led to Chris Chambers toasting Clarence Love all day long, catching seven passes for 138 yards. At one point, the Raiders had to try safety Derrick Gibson at corner to try and slow down the Miami attack.

Fiedler was efficient, completing 21 of 32 for 237 yards and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Cris Carter, who made an outstanding one-handed catch on the play.

Ricky Williams, who was coming off consecutive 200-yard games, had 101 yards on 27 carries -- a quiet 101. With Oakland's corners banged up, Dolphins offensive coordinator Norv Turner did the smart thing and attacked vertically.

The difference was that Oakland, aside from some deep throws to tight end Doug Jolley, did not. Better yet, they could not.

And that's why this Miami team is about the defense. Getting Williams via trade has been a nice story, and he's on his way to the Pro Bowl, but the Dolphins still will go only as far as their defense takes them.

If they meet the Raiders down the road in the playoffs, they will do so knowing that this defense is the perfect anti-venom for that wicked sting the Raiders have put on so many other teams.

It's no wonder Jim Bates didn't fret last week when he watched the Oakland film. For most defensive coordinators, it's a horror film.

To Bates, it was simply a feel-good story, and on Sunday we found out why. Bates knew what no one else did:

His guys own the Oakland offense.