The Chargers knew that they would have their hands full last Sunday, facing a Dolphins defense that has stymied the majority of the offenses that they have played this season.
Unfortunately, their game-plan and results didn’t reflect much preparation for it.
Los Angeles entered this game averaging over 400 yards per game. However, Miami held them to only 273 yards on the afternoon, marking the lowest of the season.
The majority of the Bolts’ offensive success has come with quarterback Justin Herbert, but knowing how stingy the Dolphins’ pass defense is with their disguised coverages and blitzes, the team decided to resort to the ground game to take some pressure off of the rookie.
Unfortunately, the running game was a non-factor, as the team finished with 89 yards on 25 carries, for a 3.56 yards-per-carry average. The decision to go with a run-heavy approach did not pay dividends.
The Chargers did not handle Miami’s pressure well, as Herbert was hit and pressured a handful of times, despite only being sacked once. His targets, including wide receiver Keenan Allen, were blanketed by the Dolphins’ defensive backs.
Allen finished the game with three catches for 39 yards and a touchdown, marking his least productive outing of the season.
Allen said that because the offense was so confused with the Dolphins’ disguises, the best thing to do was run the ball to avoid any catastrophic plays.
“I would say we were pretty confused out there,” Allen said.
The offensive performance left much to be desired compared to their previous outings. Los Angeles will have the opportunity to bounce back as they are set to face a Jets defense that has been poor this season.