Playoff Hunters: Dolphins and Chargers Both Face a Must Win Sunday

The Miami Dolphins will host the San Diego Chargers this Sunday in a game neither team can afford to lose.  The Chargers have not won a game since Week 7, and the Dolphins just fell to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  

There is also that whole offensive line scandal the Dolphins are dealing with, in case you hadn't heard about it.  

Both teams currently sit at 4-5 and are one game back of the New York Jets for the sixth seed in the AFC.  San Diego needs to win this game because its remaining schedule is grueling.  The Chargers still have two games with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs as well as a road game against the Denver Broncos and a matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.  Throw in a rematch with the Oakland Raiders, who defeated San Diego 27-17 in Week 5, and the Chargers road down the stretch is less than desirable. 

As an organization, the Miami Dolphins are on the ropes.  They are making national headlines for all the wrong reasons and are coming off their worst loss of the season this past Monday night at Tampa Bay.  

The Miami offense is a mess, the offensive line has been a disaster all year long and the running game has been virtually nonexistent. In addition, quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been inconsistent and go-to receiver Mike Wallace's effort has been questioned.

As far as schedules go, Miami's road ahead is not an easy one, though it doesn't appear to be as daunting as that of the Chargers.  The 'Fins will next welcome the red-hot Carolina Panthers before hitting the road to face the Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Miami will finish the season with home games against the Jets and New England Patriots and a trip to the crumbling Buffalo Bills.  As fate would have it, the Chargers are in much better shape right now than the Dolphins but need this win more because of their remaining schedule.

The Jets currently hold the final playoff spot in the AFC, the Dolphins will have two cracks at the Jets and as it sits today, are still in control of their destiny.  That all changes with a Chargers victory.  Each team still has four divisional games left but have shown little to make anyone believe either are a threat to its respective division leaders.  

Philip Rivers and Ryan Tannehill have both been criticized at times for their on-field performance, and play-calling for both squads have come into question. The Chargers are chasing two of the top-five teams in Matt Miller's power rankings, and the Dolphins are trying to outrun the seemingly endless shadow cast my the current locker-room scandal.

Although the losing team will still be mathematically alive, hopes for a playoff appearance will dim considerably.  With the roads they both have to travel, neither the Chargers or the Dolphins can afford to lose this Sunday.

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