Dolphins vs. Chargers: 5 Things We Learned About San Diego in 26-16 Win

The San Diego Chargers looked impressive in a convincing 26-16 win over the Miami Dolphins. 

The Chargers defense was able to get pressure on the Dolphins' quarterback, Chad Henne, which led to his subsequent injury in the game's opening quarter.

Much like the defense, the offense had a solid game as well. Philip Rivers led an attack that utilized the screen game that rendered the Dolphins' defensive scheme hopeless.

San Diego is now 3-1 and will head to Denver next week to grab a third straight win. As for today, here is what I discovered about the Chargers from their Week 4 performance.

The Chargers' Young Talent Can Play

Marcus Gilchrist played his zone perfectly. The ball came his way and he seized the opportunity, intercepting Chad Henne’s pass for an early Chargers turnover.

Like Gilchrist, many of the team's past early round selections shined for a banged-up San Diego squad that needed a boost from its young contributors.

Larry English, the Chargers' first-round selection from 2009, showed promise with two sacks. Ryan Mathews had more than 150 yards and looked dangerous in the open field.

However, no young player looked more impressive than Gilchrist, who replaced Quentin Jammer and led the team in tackles. The rookie didn’t look out of place alongside Eric Weddle, breaking up passes when Miami threatened in Chargers territory.  His interception was pivotal for the confidence of the Chargers defense that did not give up a score in the second half against Miami.

Hopefully this is just the beginning of a bright 2011 campaign for these young Chargers. Today, San Diego GM A.J. Smith was grinning wildly.

Philip Rivers Hasn’t Lost a Step

A popular pick to have an MVP season, Rivers had yet to submit a complete performance in 2011.

Facing the Miami Dolphins defense proved to be Rivers' saving grace.

The San Diego quarterback threw for 308 yards with one touchdown. He finally shook off the turnover bug this week after throwing two interceptions in each contest this season.

He was brilliant in his execution of screen plays, fooling the Dolphins for multiple big gains that led to Charger scores.

Rivers executed well in the absence of Antonio Gates today, and he should be able to continue his success next weekend in a divisional clash with the Denver Broncos.

Vincent Jackson Excites, Then Hurts

Jackson was absent from the Chargers' 2010 campaign due to a holdout that lasted until midseason.

He has been making up for lost time in 2011, capping his return with a 100-yard first half against the Dolphins. 

His spectacular half was highlighted by a 55-yard bomb in which Jackson had faked out the defender so well that he was able to fall down, get back up and elude a Dolphin tackle for the San Diego’s first score.

Jackson seemed ready to shake his “inconsistent” label. Unfortunately, his body was not. He suffered a leg injury in the third quarter.

Jackson was able to re-enter the game later on, but he failed to record another catch the rest of the game. Luckily Rivers and Mathews were able to move the ball in the second half so Jackson’s ineffectiveness didn't leave the Chargers exposed.

While Jackson has been showing he is among the elite wideouts in the AFC, any mention of an injury is frightening to his franchise. The Chargers are too banged up to afford any other starters not being able to dress. 

No Nate Kaeding, No Problem

In Week 1, the Chargers lost their kicker, the most accurate leg in NFL history.

So out went Nick Kaeding, and in came Nick Novak. Today, no one noticed the difference.

Novak connected on all four of his field goal attempts against Miami, including a 38-yarder that sealed a Charger victory midway through the fourth quarter.

The Chargers needed every kick today and Novak answered the call. If he had missed one kick today, the game's difference would have only been a touchdown and in the Dolphins' reach.

Today, the loss of Kaeding didn’t hurt so much because they had ‘Novak’aine.

Norv Turner and the San Diego Chargers Avoided the Slow Start

The NFL’s first month has not been kind to San Diego.

Usually special teams would lose games themselves.They would get outplayed in the fourth quarter. Press conferences would show dumbfounded faces without any answers.

Today the Chargers could have had their signature weak performance. However, this team decided that the early struggles are not in this team's DNA.

San Diego pressured Chad Henne into an injury, forcing the Miami Dolphins to work on the fly with their backup quarterback. The executed on crucial third downs with effective screens that ended a game in which the Dolphins were never really close.

San Diego has to come away from this contest thrilled with a strong start. We will see if Norv Turner’s squad can continue its success deep into January.