Dolphins vs. Chargers: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for San Diego

If the Chargers don't play any more games in San Diego after Sunday, at least they gave their fans a win to remember them by. Facing possible relocation to Los Angeles next season, the Chargers routed the Miami Dolphins 30-14 behind four touchdowns from running back Danny Woodhead.

Woodhead scored three of his touchdowns in the first half sandwiched around Josh Lambo's 28-yard field goal to give the Chargers (4-10) a 23-0 lead at intermission. Jay Ajayi spoiled San Diego's shutout on defense with a 12-yard touchdown run near the end of the third quarter for the Dolphins (8-6), and Woodhead responded by catching his third touchdown pass from Philip Rivers with just over four minutes left in the game.

Ryan Tannehill concluded the scoring with a short touchdown run after the two-minute warning, and the fans in attendance soaked up what time was left with a team they called their own the last 55 years. Rivers, Eric Weddle, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd, who played his final home game, were all subbed out and treated to standing ovations. Floyd, a 12-year member of the Chargers, is set to retire after this season.

Let's get to grades, notes and quotes.

Position Grades for Chargers

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Quarterback: A

Rivers threw for 311 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Dolphins' 26th-ranked pass defense. I can't fault him for the interceptions because he wound up recovering the first when Reshad Jones fumbled it on the runback, and Rivers was trying really hard to get Floyd one more touchdown at the Q on the second, forcing a deep pass that Brent Grimes picked off.

Running Back: A+

When you score four touchdowns in a game and win, that generally results in a good grade, so kudos to Woodhead for that, but how about Donald Brown rushing for 90 yards on 12 carries? Did anyone see him getting loose for a 53-yard run at the rate he was going this season? I sure didn't, but he did well in relief of injured rookie Melvin Gordon, who came out in the second quarter after tweaking his knee.

Wide Receiver: B

Floyd and Rivers couldn't hook up for one last touchdown at home, but the future looks bright with Dontrelle Inman and Javontee Herndon catching passes. Inman, coming off that neck strain in Week 13, had three receptions for 78 yards, and Herndon snagged five for 35 yards.

Tight End: B

Gates, whose contract expires after this season, may have also played his last home game for the Chargers. He caught six passes for 88 yards to lead the team in receiving.

Offensive Line: A

The Chargers lucked out in that they didn't have to face four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Cameron Wake, who is out for the year with a torn Achilles, but they still had All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and talented fourth-year defensive end Olivier Vernon to deal with.

Rivers was hit three times each by Suh and Vernon, and they both combined for a sack on the San Diego quarterback in the third quarter. It's also worth mentioning that starting left tackle King Dunlap was inactive due to an ankle injury.

Defensive Line: B

Missing starters Corey Liuget and Sean Lissemore, the defensive line did well to hold its own in the trenches. The Dolphins gathered just 44 rushing yards, and Tannehill gained only four yards on three carries.

Linebacker: A+

There's no question which position group was most active on defense, as the top four leading tacklers were linebackers. Jeremiah Attaochu had a team-high eight tackles with one sack, and Melvin Ingram was in Tannehill's face all day with two sacks and four hits on the quarterback. Rookie Denzel Perryman was again impressive from his inside linebacker spot and continues to amaze with his athleticism. There was a play in the first quarter where he chased down the quarterback from behind, stumbled but still made the shoestring tackle to hold Tannehill to a 1-yard gain.

Defensive Back: B+

Jarvis Landry had eight catches for the game but none went for more than 14 yards, as Jason Verrett stifled Miami's top receiver. Meanwhile, first-round pick DeVante Parker had 87 yards receiving on four catches, working against Patrick Robinson and Craig Mager. The secondary allowed 216 yards in all with no touchdowns, so it was a good day.

Special Teams: C

Lambo missed an extra-point attempt and a 48-yard field goal, but in a 16-point win, who really keeps track?

Coaching: A

Mike McCoy did right by the key veterans on the team by pulling them late in the game to receive standing ovations, and for once, his staff had the right game plan going in. The Chargers got revenge for the 37-0 beating they took in Miami last season.

Notes on Rivers

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Rivers' first pass of the day—a 28-yard completion to Dontrelle Inman—put him in elite company, as he became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to have seven seasons of 4,000 passing yards, joining Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Additionally, Rivers' second touchdown pass of the first half gave him 25 for an eighth season, and only three quarterbacks have managed to do that in NFL history—Manning and Brees are the other two.

Rivers also tied a team record Dan Fouts held for the most 300-yard passing games in a single season with eight. With any luck, he'll pass Fouts next week at Oakland, assuming the Chargers don't shut Rivers down for the season.

And finally, this courtesy of Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Rivers is the first quarterback since Peyton Manning in 2001 to throw an interception and then recover a fumble at the end of an interception return.

Notes on Woodhead

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Woodhead became the first Chargers player with four touchdowns in a game since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2007 against Oakland, with the difference being Tomlinson scored all of his touchdowns on the ground that day, while Woodhead had one rushing and three receiving. He's also the first player with four touchdowns in a game this season.

Woodhead's two-yard scoring run at 4:18 of the second quarter was also pretty meaningful, as it was the team's first rushing touchdown since Week 1 when Woodhead had two against the Detroit Lions. The 12-game drought was one off the NFL record the Chargers set in 2012, per the CBS broadcast.

Injuries

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There were two injuries to report for the Chargers on Sunday. The first being Gordon, who went out in the second quarter after his left leg/knee was bent awkwardly while getting tackled by a pair of Dolphins defenders.

Gordon was able to walk off the field under his own power but did not return to the game. Brown may be in line to finish the season as the Chargers' lead back if Gordon's injury prevents him from competing in the final two games.

Fellow rookie Kyle Emanuel was also knocked out of the game early on, as he reportedly suffered his second concussion of the season, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Emanuel's first concussion came in Week 9 against the Chicago Bears.

Floyd on Playing His Last Home Game and Video Tribute in Fourth Quarter

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

"M-80," as he's known in San Diego, spoke to reporters in the locker room after the game (via Chargers.com) and among the topics was a video tribute that played in the fourth quarter honoring Floyd:

"

It was so hard to stay focused; I was just trying to stay focused. It was so emotional; it got teary-eyed right there. It's just crazy. You play in a stadium for that long, and it comes to an end like that, but I'm just glad we got a win today, so I can soak it in. I just appreciate all the support from the fans through the ups and downs throughout these 12 years, and I love them to death.

"

Floyd has two more games before he hangs it up. No doubt the season finale in Denver will be extra emotional when he takes the field for his last game.

Rivers on Potential Last Game at Qualcomm and Final Home Game with Floyd

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Rivers fought back tears while speaking with reporters after the game (via Chargers.com) and shared his thoughts on possibly the last game at Qualcomm Stadium and the final home game he'd get to play with Floyd:

"

It was a special day. If it is the last one, that was what I kind of told the guys before the game was: They've been playing football in this town before any of us were born. And there's people that are gonna be at that game today that were coming to games before we were born. But we get to close it out. If it is the end, we get to finish it off. So, hopefully the fans that have seen it over the years, and the players that have played in there can be proud today that we at least ended it the right way.

The roughest part for me was Malcom...seeing Malcom, those old highlights and stuff. Had a hard time calling the next play in the huddle...maybe it's not our last play in here; maybe it is, but it is Malcom's. He's got two games left of ever playing football. I was asked all week if I was ever gonna try to force any to Malcom, and I probably forced a couple to him. They didn't end so well out there today. I was trying to get him in the end zone. That was the part that got me the most.

"

You can't blame Rivers for trying to get Floyd in the end zone. It would have been the perfect ending, as Rivers and Floyd hooked up for their first touchdown at the Q in 2004.