Dolphins vs. Chargers: Full San Diego Game Preview
Two teams with nothing to play for—other than pride and for love of the game—will meet on Sunday, as the San Diego Chargers (3-10) host the Miami Dolphins (5-8). Losses last week mathematically eliminated both teams from the postseason, but for the Chargers, this game has meaning for two reasons.
Reason No. 1: The Chargers will be seeking to avenge a 37-0 loss to the Dolphins last season—San Diego's most lopsided defeat since 1996.
Reason No. 2: This could be the final game played by the Chargers in San Diego, with relocation to Los Angeles a possibility in 2016.
Can the Chargers get revenge over the Dolphins and give the city of San Diego a parting gift with a win, or will they continue to lose and get a higher draft pick?
Location: Qualcomm Stadium; San Diego, California
Time: 1:25 p.m. PT
TV: CBS
Week 14 Results and Recap
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AFC West Standings
1. Denver Broncos (10-3)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-5)
3. Oakland Raiders (6-7)
4. San Diego Chargers (3-10)
The Chargers came up short in Kansas City, losing to the Chiefs 10-3 to remain winless in the AFC West.
Philip Rivers didn't have great numbers (24-of-43, 263 yards, one pick), but he was clutch on the last drive, completing three fourth-down passes to get San Diego down near the goal line in the final seconds. Once there, he attempted to fit the ball in the end zone twice, with passes to Ladarius Green and Danny Woodhead, both of which fell incomplete despite hitting the receivers in the hands.
Kansas City's defense was relentless in its pursuit of Rivers, sacking him five times despite the absence of star linebacker Justin Houston, who sat out with a knee injury. Meanwhile, the San Diego defense allowed just one touchdown for the second straight game—a 44-yard pass from Alex Smith to Albert Wilson in the second quarter.
Jason Verrett snapped Smith's no-interception streak at 312 pass attempts with an interception in the second quarter, and the Chargers got one sack apiece from Jeremiah Attaochu and Melvin Ingram.
News and Notes
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Chargers Release S Jimmy Wilson
The team announced on Tuesday it had released Wilson despite signing him to a two-year, $4.25 million deal last March. The veteran safety appeared in 13 games with six starts and recorded 44 tackles, one sack and two passes defensed.
Wilson graded out negatively against the run and pass, per Pro Football Focus, and he was tied with Kyle Emanuel for the second-most missed tackles on the Chargers with 10. San Diego re-signed second-year man Adrian Phillips to the active roster to account for the loss of Wilson in the secondary.
Last Home Game in a Chargers Uniform for Malcom Floyd; Antonio Gates and Eric Weddle, Too?
Prior to the start of the 2015 season, Malcom Floyd announced that his 12th year in the NFL would be his last, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sunday will definitely be his final home game with the Chargers, but will it be for a few others as well? Antonio Gates and Eric Weddle have expiring contracts after this season.
Weddle said in June if he and the Chargers couldn't reach a deal by training camp (which they didn't), he'd be a free agent, so the chances of him returning are slim at best. Meanwhile, Gates, 35, hinted that he'd like to come back for one more season but that he'll take some time assessing his future, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Latest Injury News
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All injury information below is courtesy of Chargers.com. Here are five key injuries to keep track of this week.
WR Stevie Johnson (Groin)
Johnson suffered an injury in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, and San Diego ruled him out of Sunday's game in Kansas City. He did not practice on Wednesday but stretched with the team, per Gehlken. Johnson missed two games earlier this season with a groin injury.
OT King Dunlap (Ankle)
The nightmare season for San Diego's left tackle continued in Week 14, as an ankle injury forced him to exit Sunday's game. Dunlap was healthy for 16 games last season but has managed to play in just seven this season due to injuries. His replacement, if needed, is Chris Hairston, who allowed three sacks to Kansas City's Dee Ford last time out.
Ladarius Green (Ankle)
One of four Chargers to miss Wednesday's practice, we should know more on Green by Thursday. He has really struggled since suffering that ankle injury in Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens. Over the last four games, Green has caught just six passes for 75 yards.
Dontrelle Inman (Neck)
Dontrelle Inman, who was carted off with a neck injury in Week 13, was back catching passes at practice, per Ricky Henne of Chargers.com. We'll have to wait and see what his status is on Thursday, but a full practice to start the week is a good sign.
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Key Matchups
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Jason Verrett vs. Jarvis Landry
Jarvis Landry is Miami's most targeted receiver by a mile, with 72 more targets than the next-closest receiver, and his 89 receptions this season are tied for fourth-most in the NFL. In Monday night's 31-24 loss to the New York Giants, Ryan Tannehill targeted Landry 18 times, and he caught 11 of them for 99 yards.
And while Landry isn't the No. 1 receiver per se, he sees a lot of action from the slot, enough to warrant Verrett covering him. This really is an exciting matchup, as both have shown a lot of potential since they were drafted in 2014. Verrett went 25th overall, and Miami took Landry with the 63rd pick.
Philip Rivers vs. Dolphins Pass Defense
Fellow 2004 draft class alum Eli Manning carved up Miami's secondary for 337 yards and four touchdowns on Monday night, demonstrating why the Dolphins rank 26th against the pass. Granted, Manning had Odell Beckham Jr. to throw to—and Rivers does not—but the Chargers still have the fourth-best passing offense in the NFL despite a depleted receiving corps.
Rivers still has Gates and Floyd to throw to, and some of the younger receivers have stepped up their play in recent games. Javontee Herndon has elevated his game, with five receptions for 47 yards against the Chiefs, including a big-time catch on fourth down. Inman, if he plays, is also on that list.
Matchup X-Factor
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Chargers' X-factor of the Week: Melvin Gordon
The stars are aligned for Gordon to do well on Sunday, as he goes up against the 30th-ranked run defense. The Dolphins surrendered 92 rushing yards to the Giants on Monday, including a season-high 81 for Rashad Jennings, who, like Gordon, hadn't done much all season. But it took 22 carries for Jennings to get going, and the most Gordon has seen is 18.
But if the ground game starts having some success, the Chargers may be more inclined to feed Gordon past the 14 or 15 carries he normally gets. Might this also be the game he finally scores his first career touchdown?
Prediction
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The Dolphins are the last realistic shot at a win for the Chargers in 2015, with road games against Oakland and Denver to close out the season. Miami has lost three of its last four games but has won nine of the last 11 meetings against the Chargers. However, San Diego's two wins in that span came at Qualcomm Stadium.
The Hollywood ending here would have the Chargers win their last game in San Diego before a potential move to Los Angeles. The Bolts are only slightly favored over the Dolphins, with the total listed at 45.5, according to Odds Shark.
I like the Chargers to win, but the total is a little high for me. San Diego hasn't scored a touchdown in three of its last four games, and Miami doesn't score a lot in general at 20.3 points per game.
Predicted Score: Chargers 20, Dolphins 17
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