Point, Justin Herbert.
The Chargers quarterback thoroughly outdueled his 2020 draftmate Tua Tagovailoa on the way to a 23-14 victory for the Bolts, which catapulted them into the 7th AFC playoff spot and kept their hopes of winning the AFC West alive. Herbert was phenomenal, as always, but here’s who else helped him out and who got bailed out by his play.
Stud: Justin Herbert
What more is there to say about this guy? After a week of dissection, re-dissection, and arguments, both good faith and bad, Herbert trotted out there and shredded the Dolphins’ defense to the tune of 367 yards and a touchdown on 39 of 51 passing. Meanwhile, Tua went 10 of 28 for just 145 yards and a touchdown. While he’ll never say it, something about this game seemed to fire Herbert up more than usual. We saw more emotion from him as he delivered his throws Sunday, a fired-up demeanor instead of his usual robotic matriculation down the field. Herbert’s pocket management was on full display on Sunday as well, as he constantly moved the pocket himself or avoided a free rusher before making a throw. It was one of the best games of his career, and the fact that it came in such an important spot for the team’s playoff chances bodes well for his theoretical clutch gene.
Dud: Offensive line
We just talked about Herbert moving the pocket and avoiding free rushers, and most of the reason he had to do that was that the offensive line couldn’t hang with Miami all night long. Christian Wilkins dominated along the interior, essentially shutting down any inside run game by the first half. Jaelan Phillips was similarly dominant, rushing off the right side, constantly crushing the pocket and forcing Herbert to escape to make a play. I get the unit has been banged up, and Foster Sarell is a practice squad guy the team called up because they had no other choice. But at some point, the guys on the field have to execute, and they couldn’t on Sunday. It’s a miracle Herbert was only sacked four times.
Stud: Brandon Staley
Staley has been criticized by just about everyone around the team, me included, at various points this season. The defense, which he was hired to fix, couldn’t stop anyone. The fourth-down decisions had grown more and more cowardly. The team wasn’t responding when things got difficult. But on Sunday, Staley showed glimpses of why the Chargers thought he was their best option when he was hired in 2020. The defensive game plan was a gem, holding Tagovailoa to the aforementioned 35.7% completion percentage as the Chargers played more press man than they have all season. The run defense still allowed 4.8 yards per carry, but there were more run stops at the line than in previous games. The fourth down decisions were measured but aggressive in some spots, namely going for it twice in goal-to-go situations. Staley seemed to regain his mojo in this one, and if that momentum continues, it’s a great sign for the Chargers down the stretch.
Dud: Joe Lombardi
While Staley regained his mojo on Sunday, Lombardi continued to show he has no juice left as this team’s offensive coordinator. Screens and Stick were once again the staples of the offensive diet, and that worked to open the game because Miami came out with pressure-heavy Cover 0 looks against a battered offensive line. Getting the ball out quickly helped the Chargers generate offense, for once. But it was when those opening scripts concluded, and Miami began to change things up that the offense stalled. Lombardi kept calling that quick game, even as it was made evident that Chargers receivers were getting open down the field. Herbert threw short of the sticks in nearly every third down or goal-to-go situation, putting the Chargers in positions where their slow receivers had to outrun defenders to even have a chance at a first down or scoring opportunity. Lombardi on Sunday proved he is who he is, even with a fully healthy complement of offensive stars: if you need three yards, he’ll get you one and expect you to chip in for the other two. If you need six, he’ll split the check three and three. It’s time to move on.
Stud: Michael Davis
Davis’ rise these last few weeks has been one of the best stories surrounding this Chargers team. The corner was seemingly on the outside looking in when JC Jackson was brought in, but since Jackson’s patella injury, Davis has taken over as the best defensive back on the entire team. Something about the matchup with Tyreek Hill has always brought out the best in Davis, and Sunday was no exception. With free reign to be physical at the line, Davis gave Hill fits in man coverage, losing only the 60-yard touchdown on which Davis tripped over Hill’s feet. If you go back and watch that play, it looks like blanket coverage with Davis in position to make a play on the ball before he falls down. It was the culmination of a few weeks of positive play for Davis, who’s gone from an offseason cut candidate to a potential key piece of the secondary moving forward.
Dud: Red zone offense
Part of this has to do with Lombardi, which we’ve already talked about, but the red zone offense on Sunday left a lot to be desired. Their first red zone drive is the best way to convey this: with first and goal from the 5, LA ran Austin Ekeler for no gain. This is already a red flag to me because Joshua Kelley has proven he should be the short-yardage back due to his bigger frame. On second down, Herbert throws it into the flat for Ekeler, who loses a yard. The Chargers do not throw the ball into the actual end zone. On third down, this pattern continues, with Herbert finding Keenan Allen for 4 yards to get them to the 2. Then, on fourth down, the Chargers send DeAndre Carter into motion to get him into space, but Herbert’s throw doesn’t lead him far enough upfield, and Carter stumbles before being tackled short of the goal line. On this drive, and many of the ensuing ones, the Chargers did not allow Kelley to grind out tough yards, which he’s shown more ability to do than anyone else on this roster. They also did not throw the ball into the end zone, instead running bubble and flat routes to get their receivers YAC opportunities. It’s poor design, and a 33% red zone efficiency will not cut it most nights.
Stud: Alohi Gilman
Another great story emerged in the Chargers secondary, with Gilman filling in for Derwin James admirably despite playing rather poorly this season leading up to tonight. We had seen missed tackles, blown assignments, slow rotations, pretty much any and everything you don’t want from a safety. All of this came as third-rounder JT Woods languished on the bench, and many wanted to see the rookie supplant Gilman in the lineup. On Sunday, the Notre Dame product came to play. Miami went right after him to open the game, and he responded with a beautiful pass breakup intended for Tyreek Hill that spurred an opening three and out. He was the one that forced the fumble that resulted in the Hill rugby scrum touchdown, and while that ended up being a net negative, the awareness to punch the ball out should not go uncredited. Gilman got quieter as the game continued, primarily because the Dolphins worked the sidelines a bit more as the game progressed, but sometimes as a back-end defender, silence is the best thing you can ask for.
Dud: Turnover luck
Speaking of the Hill rugby scrum touchdown, it was the hallmark of an incredibly unlucky game in the turnover department on Sunday. Gilman’s forced fumble on that play likely should have been a turnover or at the very least, a Miami recovery in the pile. Kenneth Murray had an interception go through his hands on a Tagovailoa pass in the first quarter. Davis looked like he’d be in position for a potential interception if he hadn’t fallen down on the Tyreek Hill touchdown. The Chargers did get lucky on the offensive side of the ball, namely when Justin Herbert recovered a fumbled snap that bounced away from him. Still, overall it felt as though LA had more opportunities to take the ball away than Miami and couldn’t convert. Ultimately, it didn’t matter for the outcome of Sunday’s game, but turnovers are generally a very momentum-based stat. If LA’s defense had been able to convert some of those opportunities, it may have given them the confidence to believe they could do so again next week and the week after that, and so on.