Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins Defeat Justin Herbert, Chargers for 5th Straight Win

In a battle between first-round picks, Tua Tagovailoa bested Justin Herbert as the Miami Dolphins beat the Los Angeles Chargers 29-21 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Dolphins are now 3-0 since installing Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback during their Week 7 bye. The Chargers, on the other hand, have lost seven of their last eight games.

With Miami already up two scores, Jason Sanders hit a 49-yard field goal with 4:06 remaining to increase the team's lead to 15 points, 29-14. That provided the Dolphins with plenty of cushion to see them through to their sixth win.

Herbert found Keenan Allen for a 13-yard touchdown pass at the 1:57 mark but couldn't eat into the deficit any further.

Unfortunately for neutral fans, the respective defenses ruined any hope of a prolific aerial battle between Tagovailoa and Herbert. The two offenses combined for 553 yards, and neither broke the 300-yard mark.

Notable Performers

Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers: 20-of-32, 187 yards, two touchdowns, one interception; four carries, 10 yards, one touchdown

Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers: three receptions, 39 yards, one touchdown

Hunter Henry, TE, Chargers: four receptions, 30 yards, one touchdown

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Dolphins: 15-of-25, 169 yards, two touchdowns; six carries, minus-one yard 

Salvon Ahmed, RB, Dolphins: 21 carries, 85 yards, one touchdown; one reception, five yards

Jakeem Grant, WR, Dolphins: four receptions, 43 yards, one touchdown

Tagovailoa Shines; Ahmed Breaks Out

Tagovailoa is three starts into his NFL career, and he had to overcome a major hip injury that limited the extent to which he could prepare for his debut season. The southpaw clearly isn't the finished article.

The 2018 Heisman Trophy runner-up at least continues to prove why the Dolphins anointed him the franchise quarterback and elevated him to the first string midway through 2020. While his total completion percentage wasn't anything to write home about, he showed off his ability to think quickly and fire in pinpoint passes.

Even passes of the two-handed variety are a part of Tagovailoa's arsenal.

The front office spent big in the offseason, so mounting a challenge for an AFC East title can't be chalked up as an unforeseen surprise. Thanks to the play of its quarterback, Miami might be ahead of schedule with regard to its long-term ambitions.

The Dolphins survived in Week 9 without its top two ball-carriers (Myles Gaskin and Matt Breida) in large part because of Tagovailoa. The former Alabama star was unable to replicate his efficient showing Sunday, but Salvon Ahmed stepped up in a big way.

Ahmed, an undrafted rookie who backed up Gaskin in his first two years at Washington, was promoted to the Dolphins' active roster in October. Opportunity knocked with the absences of Gaskin and Breida, and the 21-year-old is capitalizing.

Herbert Fails to Keep Pace with Rookie Counterpart

Sunday's game became a question of who would blink first between Tagovailoa and Herbert.

The latter committed a costly error in the fourth quarter when his throw to Mike Williams ended up in the hands of Xavien Howard. That set the Dolphins up with a short field, and Tagovailoa found Durham Smythe to make it a 24-16 game.

Blaming Herbert for the loss would be misguided, though.

Special teams have been a problem for the Chargers all season, and the unit remained an issue Sunday.

A blocked punt to conclude Los Angeles' opening drive allowed Miami to get the ball at the 1-yard line. Ahmed scored on the Dolphins' first play.

Then Quenton Meeks was flagged for offside as Sanders connected on a 28-yard field goal. Miami had a fresh set of downs from the Chargers' 5-yard line and needed only two plays to find the end zone for a second time.

A number of factors are responsible for Los Angeles' start. Effectively gifting the Dolphins 11 points in the first quarter because of special teams miscues illustrates partially why the Chargers are in their current position.

What's Next?

The Chargers host the New York Jets on Nov. 22 at 4:05 p.m. ET, while the Dolphins kick off their Week 11 road matchup with the Denver Broncos at the same time.