Chargers vs. Dolphins: Full Report Card Grades for San Diego
The San Diego Chargers will go into the bye week with a three-game skid after being blown out by the Miami Dolphins, 37-0, on Sunday.
The shutout was the first for San Diego since 1999.
The Dolphins dominated in all phases of the game, and third-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill looked like a guy who had been receiving advice from a Hall of Famer. Philip Rivers, meanwhile, may have lost his grasp on the MVP race with a mistake-driven outing that left the Chargers in a deep hole before the start of the second half.
San Diego was scorched on defense, and the players weren't shy in admitting so:
"Eric Weddle "Words can't explain how I'm feeling right now...extremely disappointed in the way we came out today with so much on the line."
— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) November 2, 2014"
Here's how the units graded out.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Not even a sweet mustache could save Rivers from the miserable day in Miami as he totaled four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble) and posted the third-lowest passer rating (31.0) of his career in Sunday's loss.
Kevin Coyle's defense got after Rivers in the passing game just like it had done the previous two outings against Chicago's Jay Cutler and Jacksonville rookie Blake Bortles. The defensive line hurried throws and brought down Rivers for three sacks while the secondary held him to a completion percentage of 52.2—a season low for the Chargers QB.
Granted his offensive line didn't do him any favors, but the handful of turnovers rest on his shoulders as does some of the blame.
Grade: D
Running Back
2 of 10
Getting Donald Brown back from a three-game absence did nothing for the ground game as San Diego managed just 50 yards rushing on 19 attempts.
Brown paced the rushing attack with 23 yards on four carries and added a reception of six yards, while Branden Oliver garnered 19 yards on 13 rushes for a measly 1.5-yard average (he also had a catch of seven yards).
San Diego's offensive line was blown off the ball on rushing downs, and Miami received an all-around effort in stopping the run. If the defensive line hadn't already stuffed the ball-carrier, the linebackers and safeties of the Dolphins would crash in to clean up the job.
It's been clear the past couple of weeks that this unit is ready for Ryan Mathews to return.
Grade: D
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Malcom Floyd and Keenan Allen were limited in what they could do against a stout Miami secondary. Floyd caught four of his five targets for 60 yards, and Allen snared four passes for 47 yards working against Pro Bowl corner Brent Grimes.
Antonio Gates was a non-factor with three catches for 28 yards and no touchdowns after recording four scores in the last four games.
The pass rush up front by Miami held Rivers in check and prevented him from getting his receiving corps into a rhythm at any point during the game.
Grade: C-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
In San Diego's three-game slump, Rivers has been sacked seven times and the running game has been held to 60 yards on average. Sunday's performance was the worst yet by this group as the Miami defense combined for four sacks (one on Kellen Clemens) and six tackles for loss.
Olivier Vernon overpowered King Dunlap for a strip-sack on Rivers, and Cameron Wake blew by D.J. Fluker for a sack of his own. When Rich Ohrnberger left the game with a rib injury, Earl Mitchell got by backup center Chris Watt for a sack and Randy Starks brought down Rivers on San Diego's opening play of the first half.
When the season started, it looked like this makeshift offensive line would hold for San Diego, but that hasn't been the case in the second half of the season.
Grade: F
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Tannehill completed just over 70 percent of his passes on Sunday and had four rushes for 47 yards greatly in part to the protection of his offensive line. Even without starting left guard Daryn Colledge, the Dolphins had no trouble winning the battle in the trenches.
Corey Liuget was the lone bright spot with five stops, two tackles for loss and a batted-down pass, but he had no help from Kendall Reyes or Sean Lissemore, who left the game with a quad injury. There was almost no pressure in the backfield on passing downs, and the Dolphins ran wild with 132 yards on 35 attempts.
That's now four straight games the Chargers defense has been rolled over for at least 100 yards on the ground and the third time this season the unit hasn't tallied a sack.
Grade: F
Linebacker
6 of 10
The frustration surrounding the play of Donald Butler has reached a boiling point among fans and some of the media, and his refusal to speak after the game may indicate he's just as disappointed in himself.
"Fun fact about Donald Butler: He declined to speak to media after game. Only Chargers player who didn't talk. Wonder what he would've said.
— UTKevinAcee (@UTKevinAcee) November 2, 2014"
Andrew Gachkar struggled with missed tackles in place of the injured Manti Te'o, and sacks continue to avoid Dwight Freeney despite the fact he leads the league in hurries. A pass rush from the linebacking corps has been nonexistent for John Pagano's defense, which has been without Melvin Ingram and second-round rookie Jeremiah Attaochu.
Grade: D
Secondary
7 of 10
The Chargers secondary gave up three scores through the air and 309 yards to Miami's receivers.
Brandon Flowers returned from a concussion and didn't allow a touchdown to Brian Hartline, but he was beat on five catches for 50 yards. Shareece Wright was tasked with covering Mike Wallace, and he did a decent job, limiting the Dolphins leading receiver to three grabs for 50 yards.
Most of Miami's success in the passing game came on extended plays by Tannehill, who was given a lot of time in the pocket and used his legs to force a collapse in coverage. The touchdown throw to Charles Clay was an example of that, as was the 21-yard score by Rishard Matthews.
Grade: D
Special Teams
8 of 10
Nick Novak essentially had the day off on Sunday with the exception of the kickoff to start the second half, while Mike Scifres was called on for five punts, which averaged 45.2 yards.
The good news, however, is that San Diego may have found a full-time kick returner in undrafted rookie Chris Davis. The former Iron Bowl hero returned four kicks for 116 yards, including one he brought back for 35 yards.
Grade: C
Coaching
9 of 10
San Diego's coaching staff will shoulder a good chunk of the blame for this week's embarrassing loss.
The need to make adjustments and turn things around didn't happen for three straight weeks, and Mike McCoy's gamble to go for it on 4th-and-1 early in the game failed to spark confidence in his club. Instead of taking the three points, San Diego turned the ball over on downs and submitted to an early deficit as Miami drove the ball down the field for the score.
After averaging 27.3 points through the first six games, Frank Reich's offense has put up 13.6 over the last three contests, and the number of turnovers continues to rise. The Chargers were one of the better third-down teams in the league, but they only converted three of 11 against Miami.
Pagano's defense has been in shambles since the win streak ended for San Diego, and his unit looked helpless against a quarterback who was sacked 58 times a year ago. While injuries have factored into his unit's struggles, Pagano hasn't been able to make the necessary changes to his scheme.
Grade: F
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Grade |
| Quarterback | D |
| Running Back | D |
| WR and TE | C- |
| Offensive Line | F |
| Defensive Line | F |
| Linebacker | D |
| Secondary | D |
| Special Teams | C |
| Coaching | F |
| Cumulative Grade | D- |
The effort by San Diego was one of the worst I've witnessed in quite some time, but I don't think it's time to call the Chargers season a bust just yet. Give them a week to get their heads on straight and re-evaluate the situation when they return for a home game with the Raiders. The lineup should be returning some familiar faces, and the time off will allow the coaching staff to tinker with the strategy moving forward.
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