Scooter & Hum: Day 1,006, Quasi-Quarantine: Dolphins-Chargers Game 13 Review

A stubborn offensive game plan ensured that Miami was dramatically outcoached for the second game in a row, with the Dolphins dropping a sneaky vital game down the stretch. Looking like they spent the entire week going to California beaches, the 'Fins fell to 2-5 against teams with winning records and were fortunate not to get blown out in this one. In two Cali contests against the 'Niners and the Chargers, the Dolphins ran 94 plays to 157 for the opposition, lost the time of possession battle by 80:12 to 39:48, and converted just 3 of 18 third downs on their West Coast trip. Falling to 8-5 with a tough remaining slate, Miami now faces a difficult thread-the-needle task toward a playoff spot.

On to the Groundhog-Hog-Day recap ...

Offense

Against a severely depleted defense that already ranked 26th in the NFL and was missing six starters, Miami accomplished next to nothing. The Dolphins managed just 14 first downs and 219 total yards and went 3 of 11 on third down. The visitors rushed for 92 yards, but it was mostly as an afterthought against the worst rushing defense in the league. The 'Fins did not make it into the red zone in the contest.
Tua Tagovailoa had an eminently forgettable -- and regrettable -- performance in primetime, connecting on just 10 of 28 passes (almost impossible in today's NFL) for 145 yards and one score. He misfired on 14 of his first 17 throws, had at least one interception dropped, and suffered a number of miscommunications with his wideouts -- some of his best throws came when his receivers weren't expecting or looking for the ball. Tua did rush for 28 important yards, but took two sacks and committed a crushing intentional grounding that cost the team points. Somehow, he is now 28 of 61 over the past two games -- something that could be considered a trend in some quarters.
Raheem Mostert dominated touches at running back again, carrying 11 times for 37 yards and adding a seven-yard catch in his 37 snaps. Jeff Wilson got eight snaps before being injured, with four carries for 26 yards, balancing a long of 20 with a fumble. Fullback Alec Ingold was targeted once in the passing game without a catch in his 20 snaps, while Salvon Ahmed contributed a one-yard carry among his five snaps. Though the Dolphins are largely being dominated at the line of scrimmage, the lack of commitment to trying to establish the ground game over the past two games has been borderline shocking.
At wideout, Tyreek Hill set the Miami single-season receiving yardage record established by Mark Clayton, surpassing 1,400 yards for the campaign on the strength of pulling in four of 10 targets for 81 yards and a 60-yard touchdown. He added a 57-yard score on a heads-up play on a fumble recovery and battled through an ankle injury that limited him to 34 snaps during the game. Jaylen Waddle was a non-factor despite his 43 snaps, catching two of four targets for 31 yards and appearing to be out of sync with Tua on multiple plays. Trent Sherfield was held to a seven-yard reception on his four targets in 31 snaps, while Cedrick Wilson had two grabs for 19 yards in his 20 snaps. Reserve Freddie Swain didn't record a stat in his first seven snaps of the season. The 'Fins struggled mightily against the physicality of the Charger defensive backs and did not have a plan to manufacture touches for Waddle, making it two weeks in a row that Miami was dramatically outschemed on the offensive side of the ball.
The update from the tight end spot is even shorter than usual, with neither Durham Smythe (30 snaps) nor Mike Gesicki (20 snaps) catching a ball, though the latter was targeted twice. With very little emphasis on the running game, either, the tight ends have been relegated to observers, with Gesicki now being held without a catch for three straight contests.
Up front, Terron Armstead gutted out the entire game with pectoral and ankle injuries, though he was clearly limited at left tackle. At the other tackle spot, Brandon Shell was called for two false starts, while right guard Robert Hunt was whistled for being downfield as an ineligbile receiver. All the starters played all 51 snaps, but could not get any traction in the running game and surrendered a number of pressures on designed passes.

Defense

In a nutshell, Justin Herbert was unstoppable. He torched the 'Fins for 367 yards and a score on 39 of 51 passes, making a number of plays outside the pocket to punish Dolphin pressure. The Chargers racked up 432 total yards on a whopping 78 plays, converting 9 of 18 third downs (in the first half, Los Angeles was 7 of 11 on third down, including 5 of 7 on 3rd & 5 or longer) and 1 of 2 fourth downs. With Los Angeles relying on two backup tackles, Miami did collect four sacks and did well against the run (82 yards on 3.6 yards per carry), and the defense kept the 'Fins in the game by giving up just two touchdowns on six red-zone visits. However, the Dolphins did not force a turnover in a game where the "D" was called on to make a game-changing play.
Christian Wilkins turned in a dominant performance on the biggest stage, tallying nine tackles, a sack, two stops for losses, four pressures, and a quarterback hit in 66 snaps, earning a 91.3 grade from Pro Football Focus. In 67 snaps, Zach Sieler was also impressive, notching six tackles, while reserve Justin Zimmer did not record a stat in his eight snaps. Analyst Cris Collinsworth appeared to be making a bid to be Wilkins's agent at one point, but there is no arguing that the 'Fins have two of the better interior defenders in the AFC in Wilkins and Sieler.
At nose tackle, Raekwon Davis had a solo tackle in his 36 snaps, while John Jenkins had a solo stop and a couple of pressures in his 16 snaps.
Bradley Chubb was credited with a solo tackle and three quarterback hits in his 50 snaps on the weak side, but that doesn't tell the full story of his consistent pressure. Melvin Ingram did not record a statistic in his 37 snaps.
On the strong side, Jaelan Phillips had a monster outing, registering six tackles, a sack, two stops for losses, a quarterback hit, and seven pressures. He earned an 89.7 PFF grade in his 59 snaps, while Andrew Van Ginkel had three tackles and a stop for loss in just 16 snaps.
Jerome Baker led the way at inside linebacker, posting 11 tackles, a sack, two stops for losses, and a quarterback hit in his 76 snaps. Elandon Roberts had six solo tackles in his 43 snaps, while Duke Riley struggled for the second game in a row, failing to record a stat in his 26 snaps. Sam Eguavoen had a single snap from scrimmage in a goal-line situation.
At cornerback, Kader Kohou played 79 snaps, notching eight tackles -- including a big fourth-down stop -- and drawing a holding flag. On the other side, Xavien Howard managed four tackles in his 79 snaps, and the veteran is either still playing hurt or got old really fast. Keion Crossen had three tackles and was called for holding in his 44 snaps. The injuries at cornerback combined with the sheer number of snaps the defense is being forced to play due to an ineffective offense are starting to take a tangible toll. Miami is not playing Justin Bethel nor Noah Ighbinoghene on defense, and the secondary looks like it could be wearing down as a result.
Playing one of his best games at strong safety, Eric Rowe recorded eight tackles, a sack, two stops for losses, and a quarterback hit in his 53 snaps. Neither rookie Verone McKinley (16 snaps) nor veteran Clayton Fejedelem (three snaps) recorded a stat in reserve duty.
At free safety, Jevon Holland played all 80 snaps and picked up five tackles, but he has been entirely too quiet in the past few games. Elijah Campbell played 25 snaps in a hybrid role, making a pair of solo tackles.

Special teams

Jason Sanders drilled a clutch 55-yarder to keep Miami in striking distance late, and then he delivered a great onsides kick that gave Miami a chance at recovery. He also hit both of his extra points in the contest. Sanders, who had been three of 10 from 50+ over the past two seasons, has now made 11 of his past 12 field goal attempts.
Thomas Morstead had a strong game, punting seven times for a 46.7-yard average and placing four kicks inside the 20-yard line. He had two punts nearly blocked, which is something to watch for in coming weeks.
The 'Fins did not return a kickoff nor a punt, but they gave up a 23-yard punt return to DeAndre Carter. Overall, Miami lost the hidden-yardage game in a big way in a contest in which they could not afford for that to happen.
Smythe led all offensive players with 16 special teams snaps, while Bethel -- who did not play from scrimmage for the second game in a row -- and Campbell paced defensive players with 26 snaps in the third phase. Campbell made a huge play early when he delivered a big hit on a punt return to flip the field for the Dolphin defense.

Momentum plays

Miami led off the game with three straight Tua incompletions: a deep underthrow to Hill, a potential drop by Waddle, and another pass to Hill that he wasn't ready for -- a harbinger of so many things to come. Morstead's 56-yard punt was punctuated by a stellar tackle by Campbell to dump the returner for no gain.
The Chargers converted a 3rd & 10 on a Kohou hold and a 3rd & 9 on a deep ball that Mike Williams won over Howard in the air for a 23-yard gain. On a subsequent 3rd & 4, Los Angeles beat the blitz with a seven-yard pass to Gerald Everett, but strong plays by Sieler and Van Ginkel forced a 4th & goal from the 2-yard line. Herbert hit Carter on a swing pass, but the return man stumbled, giving Kohou an opportunity to drop him for no gain, giving the ball back to the Dolphins after a 15-play scoreless drive.
Hill converted a 3rd & 9 with a tough 13-yard catch to give Miami better field position, but three plays later Tua threw a ball that easily should have been intercepted, resulting in another Morstead punt.
A 19-yard pass from Herbert to Williams got the Chargers going on the next drive, then Herbert eluded a blitz to find Josh Palmer for 13 yards on 3rd & 5 (the catch held up on review). A Wilkins sack on a three-man rush forced Los Angeles to settle for a 33-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker at the start of the second quarter.
The 'Fins followed with an awful three-and-out that featured a negative-yardage run, a deep ball to an open Hill that he potentially lost in the lights and would have been a big gain, and a sack that saw former Dolphins Kyle Van Noy put a wicked spin move on Armstead. The drive got even worse when Carter returned the ensuing punt -- which was nearly blocked, of course -- 23 yards to set up the Chargers in Miami territory.
On a 3rd & 1 play, Joshua Kelley ripped off a 22-yard run, avoiding a Holland tackle attempt before finally being corralled by Kohou and Van Ginkel. Two plays later, Herbert rolled out and found Williams in the back of the end zone, with the wideout making a phenomenal catch to get both feet in and stake Los Angeles to a 10-0 lead.
Three plays into Miami's ensuing drive, Wilson fumbled on a run. When the ball squirted out of the pile unnoticed by almost everyone, Hill scooped it up and raced 57 yards untouched for a fluke fumble recovery that improbably made the score 10-7 despite the 'Fins having 14 yards on 15 offensive plays at that point.
A Rowe sack helped force a three-and-out by the Chargers, and the Dolphins got a 20-yard run from Wilson (he was injured on the play) to get the possession going in a positive direction. Tua found Cedrick Wilson for 12 yards to convert a 3rd & 10, but Miami ended up having to punt again.
On the following possession, the Chargers converted a 3rd & 4 with a 10-yard pass to Allen, then hit consecutive passes of 21, 14, and 12 yards. On a 3rd & 10, Herbert avoided Phillips pressure and rolled out to find Palmer on the sideline for 18 yards. A Phillips sack helped force 3rd & goal from the 17-yard line, but the 'Fins inexplicably played a prevent defense that allowed a screen to Austin Ekeler to get 16 yards. On 4th & goal from the 1, Los Angeles elected to go for it, and Ekeler churned through a Sieler tackle attempt to seal the monster 13-yard drive and put the home team up 17-7 with just 18 seconds remaining in the half.
Inexplicably, Miami came out winging it with the half ending, and Tua narrowly avoided a sack to throw it out of bounds before the 'Fins mercifully chose to run it with Mostert to end a disastrous offensive half.
The Chargers got the ball to start the third quarter, but Kohou made a strong tackle on a 3rd & 12 play to force a punt. However, the Dolphins promptly went three-and-out as well, with predictable play-calling leading to a near interception.
An insane roughing-the-passer call (which was actually literally removed by the NFL on a condensed version of the game replay) on a Phillips sack allowed Los Angeles to escape another three-and-out, but the defense rallied to force a punt four plays later.
Back-to-back Mostert runs gave Miami a rare first down, then three plays later Tua lofted a deep ball to Hill, who skated in from 60 yards away when the defensive back fell down. The Sanders extra point trimmed the margin to 17-14 with more than six minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Los Angeles responded with a backside deep ball from Herbert, who rolled out and threw across the field to Williams, who had burned Howard. When Howard did not tag him down, the receiver got up and continued running for a 55-yard gain. The 'Fins rose up to force a 31-yard field goal, pushing the score to 20-14.
After a Mostert 13-yard run got the 'Fins going, Tua followed with an 18-yard scramble (and a slide!). However, Jones was beaten inside by Morgan Fox, who dropped Tua for a sack on 3rd & 10 to force a Morstead punt.
The Dolphins dug deep to stifle the Chargers on another three-and-out, with Baker making a big tackle to hold Allen short on 3rd & 2.
Following the punt, Waddle got loose to turn a short pass into a 19-yard gain. Another Tua scramble earned another first down, but he was called for grounding on a second-down play, a critical mistake that forced a 3rd & 19. After an eight-yard catch by Hill, the Dolphins must have considered going for it, but with the down and distance so severe (4th & 11), instead relied on Morstead, who placed a punt at the Chargers' 11-yard line.
A gassed defense could not respond to get the ball back, surrendering a demoralizing 17-play possession to Los Angeles. A 3rd & 5 dart to Allen despite tight Kohou coverage was a devastating play for the "D," and another third-down pass to Allen sustained the drive. Herbert found Allen yet again for an 18-yarder, then kept the ball on a 3rd & 8 run, gaining 10 yards when Riley -- who was in coverage on the play -- kept his back turned to the quarterback. A 12-yard rumble by Ekeler that saw him carry Campbell and Van Ginkel seemed to expend the rest of Miami's hope, though a Herbert fumbled snap very nearly gave the Dolphins the break they needed. Herbert recovered, and on 3rd & goal, Chubb pressure forced a short pass to Ekeler that lost four yards when he was swarmed by Baker and Sieler. The Chargers made a 28-yard field goal to push the lead back to two scores at 23-14.
A series of short passes moved the 'Fins down the field, but a perfectly thrown deep ball to Waddle on 3rd & 2 fell harmlessly to the turf when the wideout never looked for the ball. Sanders hammered a clutch 55-yarder to extend Miami's hope, trimming the margin to 23-17 with 1:10 remaining.
A good onsides kick by Sanders bounced off the return man and was loose on the ground, but Bethel could not win the ball away from the Chargers' Nick Niemann. Two Herbert kneeldowns ended the contest, dealing the 'Fins a costly second loss in a row.