Dolphins vs. Chargers: Full Miami Game Preview

At 5-8 and eliminated from the playoffs, one has to wonder what the Miami Dolphins have to play for on Sunday. 

They'll take on the San Diego Chargers, who themselves don't have a lot to play for at 3-10—except for the fact that it might very well be the final game in San Diego. 

I'd like to see the Dolphins win the final game played in what is a house of horrors for me, as Qualcomm Stadium (formerly known as Jack Murphy Stadium) was where the 1994 Miami Dolphins, my favorite Dolphins team, choked away a 21-6 halftime lead before being eliminated in the AFC Divisional Round. 

Will that history be enough to motivate the Dolphins in an otherwise meaningless game? It's Doubtful, as most of the team was in pre-kindergarten when that earlier game was played. What will mean something is the fact that if the Dolphins finish strong enough, it might be enough for Dan Campbell to keep his job as head coach. 

That's not a result I'd endorse, but it would be nice to see the team fight in their final three games of the season. 

Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Week 14 Results and Recap

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

It was The Odell Beckham Jr. Show on Monday Night, and the Dolphins were only a small part of it. 

The New York Giants defeated the Dolphins 31-24 in a thrilling game that saw the Dolphins look phenomenal for two-and-a-half quarters before they forgot that Lamar Miller was on the team. 

The loss eliminated Miami from the playoffs and renders the final three games practically meaningless.

AFC East Standings

x-1. New England Patriots (11-2)
2. New York Jets (8-5)
3. Buffalo Bills (6-7)
4. Miami Dolphins (5-8)

x-division champions 

News and Notes

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Dolphins Explain Why They Abandoned The Run

Part of the reason the Dolphins lost on Monday night was due to their refusal to run the ball. 

According to Chris Perkins of the Sun-Sentinel, head coach Dan Campbell stated that an ankle injury was the reason why Lamar Miller only had one carry in the second half. 

This contradicts Miller's claim that his ankle was fine. 

Regardless of Miller's health, Miami could've instead used Jay Ajayi as the primary back with Miller out, so there's no excuse as to why the run was abandoned other than poor coaching. 

Dolphins Sign Damontre Moore, Who Admits He Was "Immature" in New York

Miami added another piece to its pass rush this week, signing former New York Giants defensive end Damontre Moore. 

According to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post, Moore himself explained why his tenure in New York flamed out, as he admitted to his own immaturity: “The past is the past. It is what it is. I can say I was very immature during my time up there. But I learned from my mistakes, and [I'm] on to better things now."

Moore had run-ins with various teammates throughout his tenure with the Giants, and even head coach Tom Coughlin saying that he couldn't trust Moore. 

Moore will likely play out the final three weeks of the season with the Dolphins as an audition, either for the Dolphins themselves or for other teams. Miami needs help with pass rushing next season and hope that Moore, along with Quinton Coples, can mature in South Florida and wind up being a huge bargain at the position. 

QB Logan Thomas promoted to 53-Man Roster

The Dolphins seem to like former Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas a lot. 

So much so that despite not really needing a third quarterback at the moment, the Dolphins promoted him from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. 

The promotion was due to Miami's desire to keep Thomas until the 2016 season, as well as the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals looked to sign Thomas after the injury to Andy Dalton. 

Injury Report

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DT Earl Mitchell

According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Earl Mitchell is expected to miss Sunday's game due to a calf injury. 

Mitchell's injury makes it likely that Jordan Phillips will start in his place, according to the Dolphins depth chart. 

WR Rishard Matthews

Coach Dan Campbell said Rishard Matthews is feeling better, which is good news for the soon-to-be free-agent wide receiver. Matthews had limited participation at practice on Wednesday, according to Beasley, and "hopes" to play Sunday. 

WR Jarvis Landry

Don't expect Jarvis Landry to miss any time, though he was featured on the injury list and elicited a comment from head coach Dan Campbell, via Beasley: "Look, Jarvis is beat up. This is the worst he’s felt in the two years that he’s been here. What we were trying to do is preserve him as much as we could yet still obviously have enough in the tank on offense for him."

Coach Campbell, with all due respect, might I suggest more carries for Lamar Miller and less touches for Jarvis Landry? Then Landry wouldn't be as beat up as he is. 

Key Matchups

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Chargers CB Jason Verrett vs. WR Jarvis Landry

Until we see otherwise, Miami's game plan will focus mainly on getting Jarvis Landry the ball, just like we saw against the Giants and throughout the rest of the season. 

Jason Verrett will likely draw the Landry assignment, and so far this year in pass coverage, Verrett has played well, grading out at 12.0 against the pass and 8.3 overall via Pro Football Focus, while quarterbacks are rated at 86.7 when passing against him for the season. 

Chargers DT Ricardo Matthews vs. Dolphins C Mike Pouncey

San Diego's 24th-ranked defense isn't much good against any point of attack, while Miami's offensive line is a struggling group of inconsistencies. 

Mike Pouncey has been one of the few strengths, grading out at 5.9 for the season according to Pro Football Focus, but even he isn't immune to being inconsistent. He'll be matched up with defensive tackle Ricardo Matthews, who if successful can allow for San Diego's linebackers to hit the holes and stop the run while the pass rush flourishes. 

Chargers WR Malcom Floyd vs. Dolphins CB Brent Grimes

It has been a trying odyssey of a season for Brent Grimes, who struggled mightily in Week 14 against Odell Beckham Jr. This week it gets slightly easier with Malcom Floyd, himself fighting against Father Time with a very uneven season. 

X-Factors

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Dolphins X-Factor: Lamar Miller

When Lamar Miller gets the ball, good things happen for the Dolphins. 

Miami should give Miller at least 15 carries on Sunday if he's as healthy as he claims to be. His 5.1 yards per carry are worthy of at least 15, and against San Diego's run defense (ranked the sixth-worst in the NFL, giving up an average of 4.8 yards per carry), he should be poised for a big afternoon. 

Chargers X-Factor: Antonio Gates

Antonio Gates is a future Hall of Fame tight end, and knowing the Dolphins' recent history against those types of players, it should be a long afternoon for Miami in terms of covering him. 

He has been Philip Rivers' top target for much of the past decade, and despite missing the first four games of the season, he still has 45 catches for 497 yards and four touchdowns. 

Prediction

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

There's a lot of history between the Dolphins and Chargers that, at least in San Diego, might come to an end on Sunday. 

From the 1981 AFC Divisional Playoff round that saw the Chargers squeak out an overtime victory, through a 1994 AFC Divisional Playoff round that made 11-year-old Thomas Galicia cry, up to last season when the Dolphins defeated the Chargers 37-0, it has been a very interesting if not unlikely rivalry. 

It has always felt like these two teams play each other every year with big stakes attached. This game is not as exciting, thanks in part to the teams' combined record of 8-18. 

Both teams face different levels of uncertainty in all regards except for the fact that the playoffs are not possible at this point in time, yet both teams should continue to fight hard to close out otherwise disastrous seasons on winning notes. 

Based on the fact that the Dolphins have owned this series the last two years, there seems no reason to pick against them, despite the West Coast trip on a short week.

Rampant rumors of moving to Los Angeles have all but zapped (no pun intended) the home-field advantage that the Chargers have enjoyed in the past, and there will be plenty of West Coast Dolphins fans on hand to see their team fight despite being out of the playoff race. 

It won't be the 37-0 massacre that we saw in 2014, but it will be closer to the 2013 matchup that saw Miami close out the Chargers late. 

Final Prediction: Dolphins 22, Chargers 17

Statistics provided by NFL.com. Advanced statistics provided by Pro Football Focus.