The LA Chargers will be the next team to test the mettle of Tua Tagovailoa, who will look to deliver another win for the Miami Dolphins. But he’s not the only rookie quarterback who’ll be on the field at Hard Rock Stadium this coming weekend, as Justin Herbert is also eager to outplay Miami’s defense.
The Chargers lost in a close game again last Sunday, as they got victimized at home by the Las Vegas Raiders to the tune of a 31-26 score. As with some of their recent losses, rookie Justin Herbert played well only for his performance to go to waste. The rookie out of Oregon passed for 326 yards and two touchdowns without an interception while completing 28 passes on 42 attempts. Herbert has thrown 12 touchdowns against just two interceptions in his last four games and has not passed fewer than 260 yards in any of them. The Dolphins have a stout defense against the air, so the Chargers can make life easier for Herbert by establishing the run early, as Miami is just 26th in the league with 131.8 rushing yards allowed per game and 28th with 4.8 rushing yards surrendered per carry. However, the Chargers backfield is a bit cloudy as of the moment, as running back Justin Jackson is currently deemed questionable with a knee injury, while Austin Ekeler is still on the injured reserve with a hamstring issue. The good thing for the Chargers is that they have found a new capable body to take charge of the rushing duties in Kalen Ballage, who had 69 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries against Las Vegas. Take note that Ballage is used to playing in Miami, as he spent his first two seasons in the NFL with the Dolphins.
The Chargers are 2-0-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last three road games overall.
The Dolphins are for real, as they continue to have success despite making a switch at the quarterback position from Ryan Fitzpatrick to rookie Tua Tagovailoa. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star looked much better in his second pro career start, as he passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns without an interception on 20-of-28 completions in the Dolphins’ 34-31 road win over the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday. Beating the Cards was a great sign that Miami is a playoff contender rather than a pretender. But it’s really the Dolphins’ defense that’s elevating the overall stock of the team. Miami is fourth in the NFL with 20.1 points allowed per game and fifth in pass completion percentage (62.84). The Dolphins are tough to break past on third downs, with opponents converting on just 34.48 percent of their plays in that situation. The Dolphins are in a groove right now, and the momentum is giving them a huge boost, to say the least.
The Dolphins are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 home games.
