San Diego Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins: Breaking Down San Diego's Game Plan
Philip Rivers and the hobbled San Diego Chargers (5-3) look to snap their two-game losing streak in a match versus the Miami Dolphins (4-3), owners of a formidable front seven and a wildly inconsistent offense.
If the Chargers follow the two keys listed in this article, they should get to 6-3 and enter their bye week on a high note. Otherwise, they slide back even further in a crowded AFC wild-card race.
San Diego hasn’t won at Miami since the “Epic in Miami” in 1982. The team has a good shot at getting over their South Florida struggles in 2014, with Rivers leading a crisp passing attack that has had time to recover after tough games versus Kansas City and Denver.
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The Dolphins have one of the league’s deepest and most talented defensive lines. Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon and Jared Odrick get little national press, but they are just as dangerous as Detroit’s front four and the J.J. Watt show in Houston.
There are fewer pleasantries to be said about the offense. Ryan Tannehill remains an up-and-down quarterback. The offensive line, while improved, still has some issues along the interior. Receiver Mike Wallace had some choice words for the unit’s performance at Jacksonville.
Despite Wallace’s postgame frustrations, the Dolphins still have some innovative offensive concepts that have been effective under first-year offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. We’ll begin with a staple in the Dolphins’ running game that the Chargers must be prepared for—designed runs for Tannehill.
Defensive Key to the Game: Set the Edge
Tannehill has rushed for 198 yards this season, fourth among quarterbacks. While he isn’t quite as shifty as Russell Wilson, or as explosive as Colin Kaepernick, Tannehill strikes a good balance between the two.
Lazor knows how to utilize these strengths, using a nice mix of read-option plays and quarterback keepers to damage defenses outside of the tackle box. This is evident in the play below during a rout of the Raiders in London.
What makes these designed runs for Tannehill so effective are the abilities of running back Lamar Miller and jack-of-all-trades Charles Clay.
Miller has 469 rushing yards on the season at a clip of 4.9 yards per carry, along with five total touchdowns. He is best described as a finesse back who thrives on the perimeter, using his excellent acceleration and smooth running style to gain chunks of yardage in space.
Miller can’t generate any push on his own when the lanes are clogged, often falling down on first contact, but when he has running room, he is a dangerous lead back.
Miller’s ability to stretch defenses horizontally—he is averaging over 6.1 yards per carry on runs toward the tackles and ends on both sides, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required)—gives the Dolphins’ read-option game a dynamic handoff option for Tannehill that defenses must account for.
Clay does a bit of everything for the Miami offense at the H-back position. He catches and runs well, but his run blocking is particularly effective, as shown in the stills versus the Raiders. He gets Tannehill and Miller in space for big plays and often serves as the fulcrum for the Dolphins’ running game.
For the San Diego defense, this could be a problem.
The Chargers have three players behind the defensive line that could be considered reliable run stoppers: Jarret Johnson, Eric Weddle and Brandon Flowers, who is questionable to play Sunday.
The rest of the team needs work in that department. Dwight Freeney is purely a pass-rusher. Donald Butler has done little to warrant his big offseason contract. Shareece Wright won’t be garnering Antoine Winfield comparisons anytime soon. San Diego is giving up 4.5 yards per carry, tied for the ninth-worst in football, because of their lack of edge-setters.
For the Chargers to contain the Dolphins’ dangerous perimeter attack, they will need excellent tackling from their outside linebackers and cornerbacks. That is easier said than done with this roster, but they have a couple of ways to boost its performance in this area.
The Dolphins lack depth at wide receiver, with Brian Hartline struggling and Jarvis Landry going through typical rookie trial and error.
San Diego should feel comfortable having its corners cheat in run defense by playing plenty of zone coverages—even if the receivers find holes, Tannehill’s inconsistent deep accuracy won’t do the Dolphins any favors. Wallace is the only true threat out wide, and the Chargers should play as such.
Moving Weddle closer to the line of scrimmage will also help plug up any leaks in run defense. While Johnson crashes the strong side, Weddle can play the cutback lane to prevent Miller from making something out of nothing.
We have focused mostly on the San Diego defense and its game plan, but the offense will certainly have its hands full with the rapidly developing Miami defense.
Offensive Key to the Game: Feed Gates and Allen—Quickly
As previously mentioned, the strength of the Miami defense is its deep defensive line. The Chargers’ biggest weakness is their offensive line. To make matters worse, the Dolphins blitz on 35.5 percent of opponents’ dropbacks this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information (via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com). They are allowing a measly 9.5 total QBR on blitzes, the lowest in the NFL.
Another game and another day where Rivers has to work his magic.
Rivers has received high marks by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) for his work under duress—when pressured, he has a plus-7.4 rating, and when blitzed, he has a plus-11.5 rating, both some of the best grades among quarterbacks.
How does Rivers excel in these situations behind a moribund offensive line?
Besides his mastery of maneuvering in the pocket, Rivers loves to work the short-middle and intermediate areas of the field. He throws the ball before the pass rush becomes truly dangerous.
Rivers’ primary targets on these types of plays are Antonio Gates and Keenan Allen. Both of these pass-catchers are excellent route-runners with great hands, and he will rely on both to generate yards after the catch.
While Gates has been a touchdown-catching monster, Allen is having a quiet sophomore season with few big plays. However, he is still an effective chains-mover on slants, curls and other quick routes. This was seen in the Chargers’ Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Plays like this should be a go-to against the pressure-happy Dolphins defense. They force the linebackers to spend more time in coverage, which gives Branden Oliver more breathing room versus Wake and Co. in the run game.
Prediction
The Dolphins are a legitimate threat to knock the Chargers sideways, as their strengths line up against some of San Diego’s biggest weaknesses. It won’t be a glamorous game by any stretch, but assuming Flowers is back and Tannehill remains inconsistent, San Diego should get a much-needed win heading into the bye week via a defensive slugfest.
Chargers 17, Dolphins 13
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