With Shaq Lawson out, Dolphins’ Andrew Van Ginkel has himself a game — in the first half

No matter how this season plays out over the final week, the Dolphins can go into the offseason knowing they found a player in Andrew Van Ginkel.

Van Ginkel has been a force on both defense and special team much of the year — he returned a fumble 78 yards for a touchdown in the Dolphins’ victory over the Los Angeles Rams — and on Saturday, the nation got its first look at his ability.

Starting in place of an injured Shaq Lawson (shoulder), he had a points-saving sack of Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr on the Raiders’ third drive, knocking them out of field-goal range.

But Van Ginkel was just getting started.

He helped keep the Raiders out of the end zone again in the second quarter, knocking down a pass at the line of scrimmage and dropping Carr for a 9-yard loss on his second sack of the day.

Van Ginkel’s splash plays were a big reason why the Raiders went 0 of 5 on third downs in the first half and why the Dolphins were in the game at the break.

Jakeem Grant injured

Jakeem Grant was a warrior even to play Saturday — and maybe shouldn’t have.

A week after missing the Patriots game with a hamstring injury, he left Saturday’s game in the second half with an ankle injury.

He got injured on a jet sweep — his fifth catch of the night for 43 yards — and it was painful enough that his teammates immediately called for help.

With DeVante Parker a surprise late scratch Saturday, the Dolphins started Grant, Lynn Bowden and Mack Hollins at wide receiver. And even though Mike Gesicki was active, Durham Smythe got the start at tight end.

Later in the game, Elandon Roberts suffered a significant knee injury and was carted off the field.

Tua talks

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa acknowledged in an interview with NFL Network last week that there was “a lot of uncertainty and doubt” about his future as a football player in the aftermath of his major hip injury last November.

“I thank the Lord I’m still able to do what I love, and that’s play the game of football,” said Tagovailoa, before revealing that he was walking this time last year against his doctors’ wishes.

Tagovailoa added that he “understood” coach Brian Flores’ decision to bench him in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Broncos.

“The standard for our team, we want to achieve something really high,” Tagovailoa said. “We want to win out. We’ve got some high goals that we set for ourselves a team. We’re trying our best to reach that.”

News and notes

▪ We assumed stud Raiders tight end Darren Waller would be a handful for Eric Rowe, and that was certainly the case. Rowe, matched up in one-on-one coverage with Waller for much of the game, surrendered three completions — all for first downs — for 57 yards in the first half.

▪ The Dolphins’ Clayton Fejedelem had quite the week. The birth of his son. Christmas. And a nationally televised game.

He had a big moment Saturday, taking a direct snap on a punt and rumbling 22 yards. It made up for his missed tackle on Hunter Renfrow’s 32-yard punt return in the first quarter that created a short field and led to a 1-yard Carr touchdown run.

▪ Bowden on Saturday faced the team that traded him away four months after using a third-round pick on him. He got a bit of revenge in the second quarter, scrambling for a first down on a Wildcat keeper in the second quarter.