For the second straight week, the San Diego Chargers’ offense was limited to three points once again and eventually resulted to their fourth loss in five games. They are now 3-10 on the season and have really nothing left to fight for except to finish on a strong note. The Chargers will look to start doing so when they clash with the visiting Miami Dolphins this weekend at Qualcomm Stadium. Can they do it?
Read on below for a full analysis of this NFC showdown. And while you’re at it, check out our other Week 15 previews of the Falcons vs. Jaguars and Bears vs. Vikings.
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Miami Dolphins vs. San Diego Chargers Preview
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
When: Sunday, December 20, 4:25 PM ET
Line: Miami Dolphins (+2) at San Diego Chargers (-2); total: 46.0 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Miami Dolphins (5-8)
It’s back to the losing column for the Miami Dolphins, who dropped their Monday Night Football showdown with the visiting New York Giants, 31-24. That loss mathematically eliminated them from playoff contention and extended their postseason drought to seven. Nevertheless, the Dolphins will try to—at least—end on a good note for their remaining three games and the first of which is against the struggling San Diego Chargers.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Dolphins ought to feel confident about this matchup since the Chargers have only managed to win two of their last nine games and have scored just six points in their previous two contests. The Miami defense should definitely take advantage of this and the onus will be on Ndamukong Suh, who has 4.0 sacks and 32 solo tackles this season, to lead them in smothering QB Philip Rivers from the get go.
As for the offense, Ryan Tannehill, who finished with 236 passing yards with a touchdown and a pick on Monday night, ought to make sure to keep Lamar Miller heavily involved on offense. Miller has been solid in his past two games, rumbling for 202 yards and two scores. He should be able to keep his momentum going opposite a San Diego front seven that’s allowing 131. 5 rushing yards per game, which is the third-most in the league.
Also, the Dolphins, who are 3-4 SU and ATS on the road this year, may resort to their passing game through WR Jarvis Landry. He leads the team in receiving yards (920) with four touchdowns and will be trying to build on his valiant performance versus the Giants, where he caught 11-of-18 targets for 99 yards despite the loss.
Another game, another loss for the San Diego Chargers. They were handed their tenth loss of the season and their second-consecutive one on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, who beat them with the final score of 10-3. The Chargers were simply overwhelmed by the the Chiefs’ relentless defense from start to finish.
Quarterback Philip Rivers, who completed 24 of his 43 passes for 263 yards, had opportunities to tie the ball game up near the goal line in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. But he failed to capitalize on this as the Kansas City defense forced him into a pair of incomplete passes which ultimately led to his team’s demise.
Looking ahead towards their next matchup, the Chargers will have another shot to right their ship when the Miami Dolphins come to town for their intriguing Week 15 showdown this coming Sunday. The Chargers, though, are 0-5 SU and ATS in their past five games at Qualcomm Stadium.
In order for the Chargers to end their slump, Rivers has to make sure that his team will be able to relocate its form on offense. In particular, their passing game that ranks fourth-best in the NFL today (293.2 yards per contest) will really need to come alive.
That being said, the onus is on their wide receivers to help out tight end Antonio Gates, who has been the team’s only reliable receiver in their last two games (12 total catches for 126 yards). Malcom Floyd, in particular, has struggled, with just five catches on 17 total targets in his last three games. However, he could find a bit more success opposite a shaky Miami secondary (261.8 yards allowed per game).
