Tag: Chargers vs. Dolphins

Instant analysis of Chargers’ 29-21 loss to Dolphins

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez breaks down Los Angeles’ loss to Miami.

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The Chargers were outplayed in all three phases of the game in Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins.

Here is my instant analysis from Week 10:

Injury Report

The Chargers did not lose anyone to an injury today.

Play of the Game: Nick Vigil’s fumble recovery

Normally, this would be for a phenomenal throw by quarterback Justin Herbert. However, there weren’t many of those. The fumble recovery led to the Chargers’ first touchdown.

Quick Takes

Quarterback Justin Herbert had the least productive performance of his season, finishing with 20-of-32 passing for 187 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.

Herbert was unable to have much success down the field, like previous weeks, because the Dolphins did a great job of eliminating his top targets and keeping his head swirling with the various blitz packages.

To take some pressure off of Herbert, the coaching staff resorted to the running game, where running back Kalen Ballage had another productive outing. Ballage finished with 68 yards on 18 carries. He also added 34 yards on five receptions.

The coaching staff resorted to the running game to keep pressure off of Herbert, but some of it led to many third-down situations for Herbert.

The Chargers failed to have a skill player go for over 40 yards through the air. Wide receiver Keenan Allen led the pack with only 39 yards on three catches.

Lack of defensive execution led to the Dolphins scoring almost all of their points. The ones that stung the most were the close interceptions by linebackers by Kenneth Murray and Denzel Perryman.

The run defense was lackluster, once again. Undrafted running back Salvon Ahmed ran for 85 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Just like previous weeks, gap integrity and missed tackles continued to be the reasoning for it.

Special teams is a major area of concern. The unit allowed a blocked punt and committed two special teams penalties, all of which turned into points for Miami.

A bright spot in coverage was cornerback Michael Davis, who had two passes defended, both of which came in crucial moments.

The pass rush was nonexistent for the second straight week. Defensive end Joey Bosa’s absence has been evident.

Up Next

The Chargers return home to take on the Jets. Next Sunday’s game will be at 1:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Twitter reacts to Chargers’ loss to Dolphins in Week 10

An all-around bad performance by the Chargers in their loss to the Dolphins.

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For the first time this season, the Chargers lost a game by a touchdown or more after getting outplayed in all three phases of the game by the Dolphins on Sunday.

The loss left fans with the loss of hope, as Los Angeles now has seven losses with seven games left to be played. The majority of the crop wants to put this season to bed as well as the tenure with coach Anthony Lynn.

After L.A. suffered defeat to Miami, let’s see how the general population reacted on social media:

First Half Highlights: Chargers vs. Dolphins

The Dolphins currently lead the Chargers by the score of 17-7.

The Chargers currently trail the Dolphins by the score of 17-7 at the halfway mark.

Things didn’t start too hot for Los Angeles after punter Ty Long botched the snap and had it blocked, allowing Miami to take over at their opponent’s one-yard line. From there, running back Salvon Ahmed punched it up the gut for the first score of the game.

L.A. could’ve held Miami to a field goal on their next drive, but a defensive offsides penalty on cornerback Quenton Meeks led to a passing touchdown from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to wide receiver Jakeem Grant.

The Dolphins were close to taking a 21-point lead, but a botched snap and fumble recovery by linebacker Nick Vigil led to a scoring possession. Quarterback Justin Herbert took it himself for a one-yard rushing touchdown.

Miami will start the second half with the football.

How to watch, listen, stream Chargers vs. Dolphins

Here’s how you can tune into the Week 10 matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins.

The Los Angeles Chargers are looking to turn things around to start the second half of the season, as they’re set to face the Miami Dolphins Sunday.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Week 10 matchup:

Game Information

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins

Sunday, Nov. 15 — 1:05 p.m. PT

Hard Rock Stadium — Miami, FL

Television

Those in the green will get the game on CBS.

Greg Gumbel and Rich Gannon will be calling the game.

Radio

ALT 98.7 FM

KBUA 105.5 / KBUE 94.3 FM

Streaming

fuboTV (try it free)

Who are the experts taking in Chargers vs. Dolphins?

Can the Los Angeles Chargers close out a game?

The Los Angeles Chargers are considered 1.5-point underdogs to the Miami Dolphins in Week 10 of the 2020 regular season. The over/under is set at 48.5 points, per BetMGM.

That means oddsmakers are taking bets on whether the two teams will combine to score more than or fewer than 48.5 points.

My official score prediction for the game is a 30-27 win for the Dolphins, with a combined total of 57 points. So if we were putting money behind our prediction, we’d bet the over.

As for game picks, the majority of analysts believe Miami will come out on top while some still are optimistic about Los Angeles.

Expert Pick
Nate Davis (USA Today) Dolphins
Mike Jones (USA Today) Dolphins
Mike Clay (ESPN) Dolphins
Dan Graziano (ESPN) Dolphins
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports) Chargers
Jared Dubin (CBS Sports) Dolphins
Frank Schwab (Yahoo Sports) Dolphins
Bleacher Report Dolphins

Sunday’s game will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

Prediction poll for matchup between Chargers vs. Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins enter this week’s matchup looking to pick up their fifth straight victory.

The Los Angeles Chargers are set to face off against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1:05 p.m. PT at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Chargers are desperate for a win after suffering another heartbreaking defeat to the Raiders last Sunday, marking the sixth by a touchdown or less. For the Dolphins, they are looking to pick up their fifth straight victory.

Los Angeles has continued to be carried by rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, who has 19 touchdowns and five interceptions on the season. However, Herbert will be facing a Miami defense that is only allowing 20.1 points per game.

There will be another rookie signal-caller on the field, with that being Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa and company on the offensive side of the ball haven’t done anything out of this world to draw some concern. But the Bolts’ inconsistency on defense, especially late in the game, is rather concerning.

L.A. is playing for job security among both players and coaches while the Dolphins are playing to make a push for the playoffs. I expect Herbert to outduel Tagovailoa, but Miami will string together a couple of late drives that will be enough to seal the deal.

I’ve got the Dolphins beating the Chargers by the score of 30-27.

With that being said, who do you think will win? Post in the poll below.

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler hints he’s nearing return from injury

The Los Angeles Chargers could be getting a key piece of their offense back in the coming weeks.

The Chargers have been without running back Austin Ekeler, a vital piece to their offense, since Week 4 after he suffered a hyperextended knee and hamstring injury which forced him to be placed on the injured reserve.

However, Los Angeles might not be without him for much longer.

Ekeler went to his personal Twitter account to post a video of him running at practice and said “to all my fantasy owners who didn’t drop me…the time draws near.”

Prior to that, Ekeler hinted on his personal Twitch account that he had his eyes set on a Week 13 return against the Patriots.

Since Ekeler has been out, L.A. has been rolling with a committee backfield, which has consisted of Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley, Troymaine Pope and Kalen Ballage.

That’s how it’ll be again, at least for this upcoming Sunday against the Dolphins. When Ekeler comes back, he will resume his duties as the No. 1 running back, supplying the team with a threat on the ground and through the air.

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.

3 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 10 opponent, Dolphins

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez previews the Miami Dolphins heading into Week 10.

The Chargers are set to embark on an battle against the Dolphins on Sunday.

Here are three things to know about Los Angeles’ Week 10 opponent:

One of the league’s best defenses

Miami’s success that they’ve been having this season attributes a lot to their defense. The Dolphins are allowing only 20.4 points per game, and they’ve been stingy with the football, forcing 14 takeaways. Along with that, the defensive unit has scored three non-offensive touchdowns in the last two games. They have done this by disguising their coverages and the way they blitz, making life difficult on opposing quarterbacks.

Checking in on the rookie

If the Dolphins wouldn’t have taken quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, there’s a chance that he could have been selected one spot after by the Chargers. Tagovailoa wasn’t thrown into the action until Week 8 after sitting behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. But since taking over, he is 2-0. While the wins have primarily been dictated by their defensive dominance, Tagovailoa has still shown some promise under center, including a performance where he threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals last Sunday.

Offense isn’t much of a threat

The Dolphins are a team that the Chargers should worry about because what they can do on defense. But on offense, it doesn’t necessary apply. Even though they’re 10th in points per game (27.8) due to the position the defense has put them in, 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). The team’s running back and wide receiver corps isn’t as imposing and they will be without Preston Williams, who was placed on the injured reserve.

Chargers open as underdogs vs. Dolphins in Week 10

The Miami Dolphins have been red hot.

The Los Angeles Chargers (2-6) have opened up as 2.5-point underdogs to the Miami Dolphins (5-3) in Week 10 of the 2020 regular season, per BetMGM.

The Chargers dropped their sixth game of the season in yet another heartbreaking fashion to the Raiders. The Bolts kept it close, but they were unable to execute on the final play of the game, as tight end Donald Parham failed to reel in quarterback Justin Herbert’s pass in its entirety.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins won their fourth straight game, second with rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Miami’s success has been a combination of both offensive and defensive contributions, but their defense, which is only allowing 20.1 points per game, has been the bright spot.

Sunday’s matchup will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT and will be televised on CBS.

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