A lot was made when Chargers versus Dolphins was made the primetime, especially because of the connection between the quarterbacks. Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa will be forever connected due to the 2020 NFL draft class.
Herbert was the quarterback that shined on Sunday night and led the Chargers to a 23-17 victory over the Dolphins. He threw for 367 yards and one touchdown, but how he controlled the game made the difference.
This victory slots the Chargers into the seventh and final playoff spot. This game was more than that, though.
It showed fight from a team that was down safety Derwin James, defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day, and cornerback Bryce Callahan.
“I felt like defensively, we just answered all the challenges in the game that we had to face,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said. “Obviously, they’re having a tremendous year offensively. They got a lot of weapons. We’re down a ton of guys. But I think that the way our guys competed out there, you saw the competitiveness within our program.”
Here are some takeaways from the Chargers win:
- Best defensive coached game from Staley and Renaldo Hill.
The Miami Dolphins have two of the fastest wide receivers in the NFL. They could probably be the 4 x 100 relay team in the 2024 Olympic games. The Chargers defense came in with numerous injuries. On paper, this looked like a mismatch.
It was.
The Chargers defense was able to hold Miami down on their first three drives to 0 yards on 12 plays. It took a Jeff Wilson fumble picked up by Tyreek Hill taking it 56 yards to the house, for the Dolphins to gain any moment.
Besides that play and a Hill 60-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, the Dolphins offense showed little to no life.
“We played really well,” defensive lineman Morgan Fox said. “I think guys executed, and it came down to guys just simply doing their job. It’s something we’ve been preaching for a while, and everybody did a real good job of locking in on their job trusting everyone to do their job and just play fast and swarm to the ball.”
The defense was able to slow down the rushing attack of Wilson and Raheem Mostert, something they hadn’t done in a while. Tua faced pressure on numerous dropbacks and was sacked by Fox and Kyle Van Noy on some crucial third downs.
Tua was considered an MVP candidate just a few weeks ago and was playing at a high level until recently. Sunday night, he went 10-28 for 145 yards and one touchdown. It wasn’t his best performance.
“I think that they (Chargers defense) rose to the challenge of not playing them (Dolphins offense) like everybody else in the league has through 12 weeks, and we showed them why we were going to do what we did, and they rose to the challenge together,” Staley said.
Now the Chargers must build on this performance especially with the Tennessee Titans and running back Derek Henry coming to LA next Sunday.
2. It is nice to have all of your toys available.
This was the first game this season where Justin Herbert was able to play a full game with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer this season. It showed.
Williams had a big night catching six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. His contribution started on the first drive when he caught a pass over Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard for 23 yards to keep the drive alive.
He had catches for 23, 55 and 19 yards, not to mention a nice ten-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone—a perfect game by the returning receiver.
“When you get Mike (Williams) back in this movie, it looks different,” Staley said. “It feels different. There’s just more available to you. So, those guys were able to connect tonight. Kenan was his usual self tonight. Nine guys caught passes tonight. So, that’s the offense we like to play where people touch the ball.”
Allen had 12 catches for 92 yards but was the guy Herbert looked to on the field drive. He made three big catches on third down to convert to first downs. In the final drive, Herbert hit him for a nine-yard gain on third and five as Allen got up, he pointed at Herbert.
“The pass was amazing, especially just being on the same page third down when we had to have it, just having that trust he was able to throw it laser,” Allen said.
Palmer had four catches for 53 yards. He had a great catch on third and five on the Chargers second offensive drive. He caught a 13-yard ball and touched his big toe ever so slightly on the turf. He converted another third down before halftime with an 18-yard reception.
“It just show us the type of plays that we can make, the type of guys that we have out there,” Williams said.
This offense will need all three players moving forward to make a run at making the playoffs.
3. Justin Herbert is that guy.
Sunday night felt different for the Chargers. They felt in control the whole game. There wasn’t a “Chargers going to Charger” moment. It was because their quarterback Justin Herbert was in control all game.
He was moving the team up and down the field, spreading the ball around, and showing full command.
“He’s the x-factor, obviously,” Williams said. “He’s been doing it since he been here. Everybody knows what type of player he is. He is the leader of this team, and we just got to continue to follow him.”
There has been a lot of weird chatter this season whether Herbert is that guy or not. His team hasn’t made the playoffs in his first two seasons; it hasn’t been his doing. If anything, he has done everything he physically can to get them there.
Sunday, he was asked if there is a rivalry between him and Tua, which Herbert shrugged off and acknowledged that he likes watching the former Alabama quarterback play.
“Just ton of respect for those guys and just told him to stay healthy, keep getting after, and it’s fun to watch him,” Herbert said.
They are both two young quarterbacks that have different styles.
Herbert has his team in the seventh slot of the AFC playoff bracket, and if he can continue to put performances on like he did Sunday night…The Chargers may have their first playoff berth since 2018.
Make no mistake about it though number 10 is that good; just ask the guy catching passes from him.
“He’s the best in the league,” Allen said.
