Dolphins Opponent Breakdown: Los Angeles Chargers
The Miami Dolphins will look to kick off their season in style they face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
The Chargers, like the Dolphins, are coming off a playoff season and hoping to take the next step and go deeper after suffering a first-round loss.
To get some answers on five major questions related to the Chargers, we turned to Editor Ricardo Sandoval of SI Fan Nation sister site Charger Report.
1. How much of a measuring stick are the Chargers seeing this matchup against the Dolphins being?
RS: Somewhat of a big stick. Yes, these two teams could meet in January, but at the same time, this is the first game of the season. Both teams will want to show what they have and prove they belong in the top tier of the AFC and in the entire league. The Chargers are out to prove that the 27-point blown lead in the wild-card game was an anomaly, and it will all start on Sunday.
2. How much of a talking point in Chargers land is Justin Herbert's career and production to that of Tua Tagovailoa considering they were drafted one after the other in 2020?
RS: The two are forever linked because they were drafted in the same class and are only a pick apart. Many Chargers fans hoped Tua would slip to them at 6 back in 2020, but now I'm sure they are happy with the Dolphins taking Tua and L.A. landing on Herbert. I'm not going to lie; Bolts fans talk their talk for Herbert whenever the two are compared to each other, so I guess you can say the chatter surrounding that is very much alive. It will only get louder as they progress in their careers and tug and pull for supremacy in the AFC.
3. How much of a difference could Kellen Moore end up making as offensive coordinator?
RS: The addition of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has been the talk of the town and remains that way heading into the season. The Chargers needed a change of scenery on that side of the ball, and they wasted no time snagging up Moore just a day after he parted ways with the Dallas Cowboys. Moore is coming into L.A. after he led his previous team to the No. 2 total offense in the NFL and scoring in the last four seasons. The simple answer is a lot different, with many points and explosive plays from time to time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. What should give the Chargers defense confidence it can shut down the Miami offense the way it did in the December game last season?
RS: The Chargers put the clamps on the Dolphins, allowing only two touchdowns and holding Tua to 10-for-28 with 145 passing yards. That was without their star defenders in, cornerback J.C. Jackson and defensive end Joey Bosa. If they looked good without them, they should look better with them, right? Bosa requires so much attention that it allows others to go to work. Jackson will try to show he is still the premier corner in the game and will be out for blood. L.A. should feel confident on that side of the ball and try to make Tua beat them (no offense).
5. What is the one matchup (offense or defense) you feel the Dolphins really could exploit in this game?
RS: I just said L.A. should make Tua beat them, so I'm going with the L.A. secondary. Even with Jackson returning, we don't know how healthy he will be. Outside of Jackson and star safety Derwin James, the secondary is suspect. The Bolts have a ton of question marks in those position groups, and with guys like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle coming into L.A. again, it will be a prove-it game. They remain young, and many will get some significant run in 2023 compared to last season. If L.A. has anything to worry about, it's their secondary as a whole.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Dolphins news and analysis year-round. Check out our daily podcast (All Dolphins Podcast) on YouTube and also available wherever you get your audio podcasts under Miami Dolphins Insider on the Fans First Sports Network. Also, you can follow me on Twitter at @PoupartNFL, and that's where you can ask questions for the regular All Dolphins mailbags. You also can ask questions via email at fnalldolphins@yahoo.com.
