The 2020 NFL season feels weird, does it not? Perhaps we felt like this back in 2016 when the
Miami Dolphins went on their run to make the playoffs. But, I do not even think it felt like this back then. The feeling I am describing is the feeling that the
Miami Dolphins are a good team. A team, when playing lesser competition, is expected to win. I am not counting the
New York Jets game from a few weeks ago when we all knew they would win. I mean teams like the
Los Angeles Chargers and the following three weeks. The Dolphins should be favored in all of these upcoming games, assuming everything goes to plan (when does anything ever go to plan?).
Not only that, but this Dolphins team does not give me the depressed feeling I get before game time. It is that feeling that I know they are probably going to lose and will be lucky to be down just one score in the 4th quarter. That feeling is gone now.
The reasons for that are simple. Miami has a defense, they have a coach, and it certainly seems they have a quarterback. Forgive me for not saying that the 20+ years of quarterback drought since Dan Marino is over. I want to see more games before I crown
Tua Tagovailoa as the savior. But that does not mean my overall feeling that this Dolphins team is not good. They are good, and they have everything in front of them during a season that most thought would just be another rebuild year. Good for the Dolphins and good for all of us.
The
Chargers are not a typical 2-6 football team. I mean they are because that is what their record is. And you can also say they are the
Atlanta Falcons of the AFC, somehow losing games they probably should win. That seems fair. The Chargers have lost by a combined 20 points in their six losses.
We know the book on them. Every week they have a double-digit lead in the second half, and then, poof, it goes away and they lose. Right now, it is in their DNA to lose. Miami needs to keep it that way.
The injury/covid report is a double-edged sword for the Dolphins.
The only positive of not having defensive end
Christian Wilkins is that no Dolphin’s player should get injured celebrating a score. But not having him makes the Dolphins thin on the defensive front. It means
Raekwon Davis and
Zach Sieler are going to be relied on, probably, exclusively to fill the role left by Wilkins. With no
Kyle Van Noy, expect to see more
Kamu Grugier-Hill and
Andrew Van Ginkel.
Of course, on the other side of that sword, the injury report hurts for the Chargers too.
Not having edge rusher
Joey Bosa is huge for the Dolphins. The Chargers have one of the best fronts in the league. Not having him helps a Dolphins offensive line that is still figuring things out since
Austin Jackson returned. That does not mean it will be a walk in the park.
Melvin Ingram,
Jerry Tillery,
Linval Joseph, and
Justin Jones are no slouches.
The Chargers are one of the teams that bring the least amount of pressure. They rely very much on their front four to take of that. You would like to think that will bode well for the Dolphins and their offensive line.
The secondary is where to attack the Chargers. They rank in the bottom third of the league in passing defense.
Their secondary only has four interceptions and quarterbacks are averaging a 95.7 rating. With their defensive line taking a massive hit, Tua and the offense should opportunities to do damage.
Also, upon further review, the Chargers are giving up 4.9 yards a carry. I’m not exactly sure who will be running the ball for the Dolphins. Matt Breida is questionable,
Zach Crockett can’t see anything, and
Salvon Ahmed, who’s intriguing, might only get four carries because of Brian Flores. Goes without saying, but it is nice if this was a game where the Dolphins out-muscled a team and used up the clock. Take some pressure off Tua and the banged-up receiving core.
