3 keys to a Chargers’ victory over Dolphins in Week 10

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out how Los Angeles can take care of business in Miami in Week 10.

The Chargers are set to travel to Miami to face a hot Dolphins team, eager to overcome their heartbreaking losses.

In order to do so, there are a few things that Los Angeles will need to do in order to a secure a victory.

Establish the ground game

The Chargers have done a great job at running the football the past few weeks, averaging 157.5 yards per game. The Dolphins have a stout defense, holding opponents to 20.1 points per game, but they’re susceptible to giving up field position, especially on the ground as they rank No. 28 in the league, allowing 131.8 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. Miami’s interior defensive line and linebackers have struggled, and they will be without Christian Wilkins and Kyle Van Noy, who were both placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Protect the gold

The Dolphins are not going to make life easy on quarterback Justin Herbert. Miami is known for bringing the pressure, as their 20 sacks rank 12th in the NFL. While Herbert has the NFL’s third-highest rating against the blitz among qualified passers, he has never faced a defense like this where they disguise their coverages and the way they blitz. The Dolphins are notorious for calling a handful of blitz zeros per game, which means that the defense rushes everyone but the kicker. Miami has only allowed one quarterback (Kyler Murray) to finish with a rating above 100. Herbert has been sacked 14 times in seven games. The rookie has been lights out, but this week won’t be an easy task. The protection has to be dialed in or else turnovers are prone to occur, and the Dolphins happen to be stingy with the football, forcing 14 takeaways this season.

Dialed in defense

The Chargers have looked like they possess a top defensive unit since the beginning of the season, but only the first two quarters. I’ve said it before, but this is a game where they have the opportunity to flourish on the defensive side of the ball. Miami is 28th in offensive yards per game (322.9), including 97.1 rushing yards per game. The Dolphins rank 26th in the NFL when it comes to converting third downs (38.9 percent). Edge defenders Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram will be facing two rookie tackles, making this a good opportunity to apply consistent pressure of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Miami also has a depleted running back and wide receiver room, especially after the loss of Preston Williams. Most importantly, Los Angeles must minimize the missed tackles and blown coverages and assignments, too.