INGLEWOOD, Calif. — A lot has been made of the performance by the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in a 36-34 loss against the Miami Dolphins.
There was a strong performance by the offense, but not everything was good, and the lackluster showing by the defense.
Here are the grades for the units:
Quarterback: B-
Justin Herbert made plays and took care of the football. He picked up some first downs with his legs. The last drive wasn’t pretty, but that wasn’t just on Herbert.
Running backs: A
There was balance on the offensive side of the football because of the play from the run game. Austin Ekeler had 117 yards, while Joshua Kelley added 91 yards with both scoring touchdowns. This is what this offense needs moving forward.
Receivers: D+
The fact that Mike Williams wasn’t integrated more into the offense is questionable. Josh Palmer had one catch, and Quentin Johnston only had two catches? Keenan Allen, as usual, had a good performance, but they have to get other receivers going for success.
Tight end: C
Donald Parham had a touchdown catch and 21 receiving yards. It felt like Gerald Everett should have had a bigger game, especially with all the attention toward Allen and Williams. Not on Everett.
Offensive line: C+
They held Herbert sackless for most of the game, and on the final drive, Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio brought pressure, and they got to Herbert twice. It was a positive that they could run the ball for 234 yards.
Defensive line: D-
They were able to slow down the run, but there wasn’t much pressure on Tua.
Edge rushers: F
No sacks on Tua.
Linebackers: F
It was an ugly game from Kenneth Murray.
Secondary: F-
They gave up 466 yards, there was a penalty before the half that set up a field goal, and too many big plays to Tyreek Hill.
Special teams: A
Cameron Dicker was 2-for-2, and the coverage unit was good.
Coaching: F+
The defense was abysmal, and it doesn’t seem like the correct adjustments were made in the second half. The plus is for Kellen Moore’s potent offense, but the defense was just that bad.
Next opportunity: F
Why an F? Derrick Henry is fresh and ready to roll. Can they stop him? Well, they could stop the best player on the Dolphins, so Henry may be in for a big day.
