Crank up the hype machine. The Miami Dolphins were as impressive as any team in the National Football League in Week 1.
Their 36-34 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers was a statement win, and the statement was this — with this offense, we can play with anyone in football.
But as we explore in our Dolphins-Chargers winners and losers, there still is plenty of room for improvement by Miami — and that should scare every other team in the AFC.
Miami Dolphins vs. Los Angeles Chargers Winners and Losers
Winner | Mike McDaniel
Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill are now firmly in the conversation for MVP and OPOY, respectively. But none of what we saw happen Sunday evening would have been possible without McDaniel firing on all cylinders as the Dolphins’ play caller.
McDaniel was one step ahead of Brandon Staley on offense all day, cracking the Chargers’ press-man scheme that gave the Dolphins fits a year ago.
3rd and goal, game on the line. Mike McDaniel calls a goal line fade to a 5’10 WR and Tua drops an absolute dime.. unreal pic.twitter.com/WqgcfXElUy
— Smoke (@nickysmokess) September 11, 2023
His decision to take a shot to Hill after taking over on the plus-35 in the second half was smart.
Going for it on fourth-and-7 from the Chargers’ 42 showed just how much confidence he has both in himself and Tagovailoa (the Dolphins converted and went on to score).
The Dolphins have a championship-caliber offense, and McDaniel is a big reason why.
“I didn’t do a good enough job today, getting us adjusted throughout the game,” Staley said. “We tried. Our adjustments just didn’t take shape today.”
Added Hill: “He was definitely in his bag.”
Loser | Dolphins’ Run Defense
Vic Fangio deserves credit for calling up blitzes on three of the Dolphins’ final four defensive snaps. It saved the game.
Former #Canes DE Jaelan Phillips with the game-winning sack on the road!
Dolphins 36, Chargers 34pic.twitter.com/8xWf86pXnG
— Geo Milian (@GeoMilian) September 11, 2023
But considering Miami’s offense scored 36 points, gained 536 yards and had 30 first downs, it should never have come down to the last drive.
The Dolphins’ run defense was just as bad as the Dolphins’ pass offense, giving up 234 rushing yards and 5.9 yards per carry against an offense that ranked bottom three in both stats a year ago.
The Chargers absolutely owned the Dolphins at the line of scrimmage, and the only time Miami got even close to Justin Herbert was when Fangio brought an extra rusher.
The Dolphins finished with just four tackles for loss in 76 defensive snaps. Not nearly good enough.
“There’ll be a game this year, I told the guys in the locker room, where we’ll have to win the game without scoring a touchdown,” McDaniel said. “Teams find a way. I was really pumped about that. It was just weathering the storm, doing what you have to do on both sides of the ball. If we need points, go and get two points, and if we need to stop, get a stop.”
Winner | Dolphins’ Offensive Line
Perhaps the most important number on Tagovailoa’s stat line?
Zero.
That was the number of times he was sacked by a Chargers defense that boasts Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.
Tua was barely touched Sunday, which was of course a reflection of Tagovailoa getting the ball out of his hands fast.
But it was also a reflection of a good day at the office by an offensive line that didn’t have its leader in Terron Armstead. Kendall Lamm did a fine job filling in for the injured Pro Bowler on Sunday.
“The ball was out,” Staley said. “We did affect [Tagovailoa] more in the second half. But when he got to the top of the drop, the ball was out, or it was well-protected with seven or eight guys in the protection, and the ball was out. We needed to make bigger plays on third down. Those long situations, I think that was a time for us to get there, and we didn’t do it.”