Short-handed Chargers get emotionally charged in big win over Dolphins
An emotional victory for the Chargers on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium was visible on the field — and off.
Moments after the Chargers defeated the Miami Dolphins 23-17, coach Brandon Staley was asked about his animated behavior following a key late completion by quarterback Justin Herbert.
“I saw a lot of winning plays out there tonight,” he said. “They gave me a lot of reasons to be excited. That’s just the truth. There were a lot of big plays out there. ... I want them to see me that way.
“Like I told them: ‘I’m not just doing that because I feel like it. I’m doing that because you guys made me do it.’ It was great for our team tonight. I thought our team played with a lot of energy.”
Chargers bolster their playoff hopes with important win over Dolphins
🏈 Chargers 23, Dolphins 17 — FINAL
Nick Niemann recovered a Dolphins onside kick with just over a minute left in regulation to secure the Chargers’ win.
The Chargers’ defense played a leading role in the win, limiting Miami to 219 yards of total offense. Austin Ekeler’s one-yard touchdown run on fourth down just before halftime would prove vital with the Chargers being limited to two field goals in the second half.
Despite missing safety Derwin James Jr., cornerback Bryce Callahan and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day, the Chargers managed to keep Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from taking control of the game.
Justin Herbert also had one of the best games of his career. He completed a career-high 39 passes on 51 attempts for 367 yards and a touchdown.
The Mike Williams-Keenan Allen duo also was a huge factor. Williams caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Allen made 12 catches for 92 yards. Ekeler had 45 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Tagovailoa completed 10 of 28 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 60-yard pass to Tyreek Hill.
Hill scored two touchdowns, with his first coming on a bizarre, 57-yard fumble recovery.
Dolphins tack on a field goal late in fourth quarter
🏈 Chargers 23, Dolphins 17 — 1:08 left in the fourth quarter
Jason Sanders kicked a 55-yard field goal to help the Dolphins close in on the Chargers with just over a minute left in regulation.
The Dolphins managed to pick up 38 yards on seven plays despite not having Tyreek Hill on the field. The prolific wide receiver was dealing with an ankle injury earlier in the game.
Another strong drive by Chargers ends with field goal
🏈 Chargers 23, Dolphins 14 — 2:40 left in the fourth quarter
Cameron Dicker kicked a 28-yard field goal to cap off what was looking like the best Chargers drive of the season until it ran into issues inside the Miami 10-yard line.
After Justin Herbert scrambled 10 yards to put the ball on the Miami 20 and Austin Ekeler followed with a 12-yard run to the Miami eight-yard line, things went a bit haywire for the Chargers. Will Clapp was ruled as an ineligible receiver on second down (on the same play Herbert fumbled the ball on the snap) and good pressure by the Dolphins defense on third down forced the Chargers to settle for a loss of yards on a short pass to Ekeler.
The Chargers converted on three third downs on the drive, with Keenan Allen fueling the first half of the downfield march.
The 17-play, 79-yard drive took 8 minutes and 39 seconds off the clock, but it still leaves the door open for Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins to mount a potential comeback.
In the third quarter, Chargers linebacker Morgan Fox sacked Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on a key third down.
Chargers settle for field goal after fast drive fizzles
🏈 Chargers 20, Dolphins 14 — 4:18 left in the third quarter
Cameron Dicker kicked a 31-yard field goal to extend the Chargers lead after a fast-paced drive fizzled in the red zone.
Mike Williams beat Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard in coverage on a 55-yard bomb from Justin Herbert before Keenan Allen caught a seven-yard pass to put the ball on the Miami eight-yard line.
Chargers center Corey Linsley was then called for an illegal snap on third down (failing to pause before making a snap) before Herbert overthrew Gerald Everett in the end zone.
Tyreek Hill catches 60-yard touchdown pass for Dolphins
🏈 Chargers 17, Dolphins 14 — 6:23 left in the third quarter
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill caught a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to cut into the Chargers’ lead.
Hill caught the pass as Chargers cornerback Michael Davis fell as he tried to cover the speedy wide receiver, who trotted into the end zone.
Hill has two touchdowns tonight after scoring on a 57-yard fumble recovery in the second quarter.
Austin Ekeler scores a touchdown on fourth down to extend Chargers’ lead
🏈 Chargers 17, Dolphins 7 — HALFTIME
Brandon Staley’s fourth-down gamble paid off this time, with Austin Ekeler scoring on a one-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds left before halftime.
On the play before, Ekeler picked up 16 yards on a screen pass on third-and-goal, falling just short of scoring a touchdown. The Chargers took advantage of the Dolphins playing several players in the end zone.
The Chargers have been in control for most of the game, piling up 249 total yards to the Dolphins’ 55. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 24 of 29 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Ekeler has seven catches for 63 yards.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has completed just 3 of 15 passes for 25 yards.
MiamirRunning back Jeff Wilson Jr. has been ruled out after sustaining a hip injury in the second quarter. He was carted off the sideline to the locker room.
Tyreek Hill scores rugby-like touchdown off fumble recovery
🏈 Chargers 10, Dolphins 7 — 8:45 left in the second quarter
Chargers Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill scored on a 57-yard fumble recovery in a stunning sequence for Miami’s first points of the game.
The play started with Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson Jr. being stripped of the ball by Chargers safety Alohi Gilman. As several Chargers and Dolphins players dove piled up in attempt to recover the loose ball, it squirted free from the scrum. Picking up the ball at his feet as a rugby player would, Hill — arguably the fastest player on the field — had no problem running untouched to the end zone.
Mike Williams touchdown catch extends Chargers’ lead in second quarter
🏈 Chargers 10, Dolphins 0 — 9:49 left in the second quarter
Mike Williams made a spectacular, 10-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone on a perfect pass from Justin Herbert to extend the Chargers’ lead.
Williams managed to get both feet down as he came down with the ball, giving him three catches for 52 yards so far tonight.
Joshua Kelley busted off a 22-yard run to get the Chargers into the red zone, taking advantage of guard Zion Johnson creating a big opening on the line.
Earlier in the quarter, the Dolphins missed on a potential touchdown when Tyreek Hill lost track of a Tua Tagovailoa pass while wide open. On the next play, Kyle Van Noy sacked Tagovailoa as the Dolphins went three-and-out for the second time in three possessions.
Chargers take 3-0 lead on Cameron Dicker field goal
🏈 Chargers 3, Dolphins 0 — 14:14 left in the second quarter
Cameron Dicker made a 33-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter to give the Chargers the first points of the game.
Justin Herbert and the Chargers drove 42 yards on eight plays, benefiting from a 19-yard, toe-dragging catch by Mike Williams, but hit issues in the red zone. Herbert was sacked for a six-yard loss and a six-yard pass to Austin Ekeler wasn’t enough to convince coach Brandon Staley to go for it again on fourth down.
Chargers come up snake eyes on fourth-down gamble
🏈 Dolphins 0, Chargers 0 — 5:58 left in the first quarter
The Chargers failed to convert on fourth-and-goal from the Miami two-yard line, coming up empty on what was otherwise a promising, 15-play, 78-yard drive.
DeAndre Carter stumbled trying to catch a pass from Justin Herbert and was promptly tackled by Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou on fourth down.
Mike Williams made an acrobatic, stop-and-over catch on Dolphins cornerback Xavier Howard for 23 yards to help fuel the drive.
A big part of the Chargers’ success tonight will depend on the play of its secondary against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
The Dolphins tested the Derwin James-depleted secondary on the first play from scrimmage, with safety Alohi Gilman breaking up a deep pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Hill. Two more incomplete passes intended for Waddle and Hill made it a three-and-out for Miami.
Chargers have difficult Hill to climb against explosive Dolphins
Miami has Tua Tagovailoa, who Wednesday was announced as the leader in fan voting for the Pro Bowl.
The Dolphins have Jaylen Waddle, who Sunday likely will surpass 1,000 yards receiving for the season.
And they have Mike Gesicki, a player Chargers coach Brandon Staley called a “big-play tight end.”
Then, on top of all of that, Miami has Tyreek Hill, whom many of Staley’s players know as the red blur streaking away from them in his previous role as a Kansas City Chief.
Chargers-Dolphins preview: Tua Tagovailoa presents big challenge for L.A.
The seven-on-seven camps happened almost every weekend, Hawaiian kids converging on a football field to push one another.
As a budding lineman, Breiden Fehoko recalls doing one-on-one drills before going over to watch the skill-position players battle.
“I remember a younger, shorter kid throwing to high schoolers,” Fehoko said. “Come to find out, it was Tua. It was pretty cool really. You knew the kid was going to be good one day.”
One day has arrived for Tua Tagovailoa. The NFL’s highest-rated passer will lead the Miami Dolphins into SoFi Stadium on Sunday to face Fehoko and a Chargers’ defense that figures to be shorthanded for a tall task.
With safety Derwin James Jr. (quadriceps) and slot cornerback Bryce Callahan (core muscle) doubtful, the Chargers’ secondary still must contain Tagovailoa and speedy wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Chargers need to be in rush to protect Justin Herbert against Dolphins defense
In a career during which so much has been pronounced, few things ever have stood out so starkly for Justin Herbert.
On four occasions in his 44 NFL starts, the Chargers quarterback has been sacked as many as four times. Three of those occasions have happened in succession over the last three weeks.
“We have to get guys open faster,” offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said Thursday. “There has been a lot of shuffling of the O-line and then facing some pretty good rush teams. It’s a combination of things but certainly something that we are aware of and need to do better.”
Herbert was sacked five times Sunday at Las Vegas, four times the week before at Arizona and five times the week before that at home against Kansas City. He has taken 37 hits during that stretch.
Derwin James inactive for Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins
The Chargers will be without Pro Bowl safety Derwin James Jr. for their Sunday night game against Miami at SoFi Stadium.
James was doubtful because of a quadriceps injury before the team made him inactive 90 minutes before kickoff.
Three other starters — cornerback Bryce Callahan (core muscle), defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day (knee) and right tackle Trey Pipkins III (knee) — also are inactive.
The Chargers’ other inactives are quarterback Easton Stick, running back Sony Michel and wide receiver Jason Moore Jr.
Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins matchups, how to watch and prediction
Breaking down how the Chargers (6-6) and the Miami Dolphins (8-4) match up heading into their game at 5:20 p.m. PST on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. The game will be shown on NBC (Ch. 4) and streamed on Peacock and NFL+.
When Chargers have the ball
Once again, the Chargers will try to begin and end a game with both of their top wide receivers — Keenan Allen and Mike Williams — something that hasn’t happened all season.
Allen was injured in the second quarter of the season opener. He came back in Week 7 but was unable to play in the second half. Allen and Williams were available in Week 11 until Williams was injured on the Chargers’ second offensive series. Williams remained on the injury report until Friday, when his removal meant he and Allen were in line to start against Miami.
For Justin Herbert to get the ball to either of his favorite wideouts, the Chargers will need improved protection. Herbert has been sacked 14 times over the last three weeks, and the Dolphins do like to blitz. Miami has had multiple sacks in four consecutive games.
Chargers vs. Dolphins: Betting odds, lines and picks against the spread
The Chargers will be playing in prime time after getting flexed into “Sunday Night Football” against the Miami Dolphins. It might be another disappointing week for Chargers fans, but NFL games aren’t played on paper.
Miami Dolphins (-3.5, 52) at Chargers
Between the two L.A. games this week, this is the bet I like more and it has a lot to do with why I liked the Raiders last week against the Chargers. The loss of Corey Linsley completely changes everything for this offense. Linsley remains in concussion protocol but was a full participant in practice Thursday. Unfortunately, Trey Pipkins III appears to be doubtful again, so the Chargers will be up against it when it comes to protecting Justin Herbert.
Herbert threw for 335 yards last week, but that was on 47 attempts. The Chargers managed just 5.2 yards per play and 3.3 yards per carry against an awful Raiders defense. Miami’s stats look more like those of a league average defense, so it looks like tough sledding again for a one-dimensional offense with cluster injuries in the trenches.