Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) at Miami (1-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m., EDT, CBS.
BetMGM line: Chargers by 4 1/2
Series record: Dolphins lead 18-15.
Against the spread: Chargers 3-2; Dolphins 2-3.
Last week: Chargers lost to Washington 27-10; Dolphins lost to Carolina 27-24.
Last meeting: Dolphins beat Chargers 36-34 in Inglewood, California, on Sept. 10, 2023.
Chargers offense: overall (12), rush (14t), pass (10), scoring (25).
Chargers defense: overall (7), rush (18), pass (4), scoring (6t).
Dolphins offense: overall (28), rush (30), pass (21), scoring (21).
Dolphins defense: overall (29), rush (32), pass (16), scoring (27).
Turnover differential: Chargers minus-3; Dolphins even.
Chargers player to watch
WR Ladd McConkey. He caught a 2-yard TD on the opening drive of the Chargers’ loss to the Commanders for his first score of the season. McConkey has had a slow start after leading the Chargers in catches, yards and targets last season as a rookie. He hasn’t had more than 70 yards receiving since the opener.
Dolphins player to watch
TE Darren Waller. In his two games this season, Waller has eight catches for 105 yards and three touchdowns. He was an important target for Tua Tagovailoa in Week 5, which was the Dolphins’ first game this season without Tyreek Hill. Waller caught all five targets for 78 yards and a 4-yard TD.
Key matchup
Chargers running backs vs Dolphins run defense. Miami has the worst run defense in the NFL, but is facing a Chargers running back unit that has been decimated by injuries. Veteran Najee Harris is out with a season-ending Achilles tendon injury and rookie Omarion Hampton went on injured reserve this week because of an ankle injury. That leaves Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal as Los Angeles’ likely running backs for the matchup. It’ll be the second straight week that the Dolphins’ defense will face a team’s backup running back. Last week, Miami allowed Rico Dowdle to rush for a career-high 206 yards on 23 carries in his debut as a starter.
Key injuries
Chargers: Hampton (ankle) will miss at least four games while on IR after getting hurt late against the Commanders. … OT Joe Alt (ankle), OLB Bud Dupree (hamstring), G/T Trey Pipkins III (knee) and DB Ja’Sir Taylor (illness) did not practice Wednesday. … G Mekhi Becton (hand), WR Quentin Johnston (hamstring) and LB Denzel Perryman (ankle) were limited.
Dolphins: QB Tua Tagovailoa appeared on the injury report this week with hip/left thumb injuries, but his status is not expected to be in doubt. … LB Tyrel Dodson remained in concussion protocol this week. … CB Storm Duck (ankle) practiced for the first time since Week 1. … C Aaron Brewer (pectoral) and WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. (knee) were limited in practice.
Series notes
Tagovailoa’s Dolphins beat Justin Herbert’s Chargers in a thrilling comeback the last time the teams met in 2023. Tagovailoa threw for 466 yards, the fourth most in an opener at the time, and three touchdowns in a game that included two ties and nine lead changes. … The Dolphins are 9-4 when hosting the Chargers and have won seven of the last eight home games against them. … It’s the 34th all-time meeting between the teams. … Sunday will be the Chargers’ first visit to Miami Gardens since 2020, when Miami won 29-21.
Stats and stuff
Despite losing their last two games, the Chargers are first in the AFC West entering Week 6. Los Angeles is tied for sixth in points allowed per game, averaging 19.6. … Herbert has spread the ball around and the Chargers’ offense is the only unit in the NFL with four players recording 20-plus receptions this season: Johnston, McConkey, Hampton and Keenan Allen. … In Week 5, Allen eclipsed 1,000 career receptions, making him the fastest player in NFL history to reach that mark (159 games). He needs 23 receptions to reach 956 with the Chargers and surpass TE Antonio Gates for the most in franchise history. … The Chargers have allowed the second-lowest opponent red zone efficiency in the league with 38.9. They have given up just two passing TDs in the red zone, which is the lowest in the NFL. … LB Troy Dye has led the Chargers in tackles in each of the last two weeks and is one of 11 players this season to have 11-plus tackles in consecutive games. … Herbert needs 32 completions to reach 2,094 for his career and pass Matt Ryan for the third-most by any player through the first six seasons of a career in NFL history. … The Dolphins blew a 17-0 lead against the Panthers last week and fell to 1-4 for the first time under Mike McDaniel. … The Dolphins have been inconsistent on offense this season, but the Dolphins enter Week 6 ranked second in the NFL in red zone offense (76.9%) and third down offense (46.7%). Miami is one of five teams in the league this year with a 100% goal-to-go efficiency rate, scoring on all eight of its goal-to-go situations. … The Dolphins are the only team in the NFL to have three players with three TD catches each: Waller, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle. … The Dolphins are allowing 386.6 total yards per game and 29 points per game. Miami has allowed opponents to score 27 or more points in three of four games this season. … LB Bradley Chubb leads the Dolphins with four sacks this season. Tyrel Dodson has two. No other Dolphins player has more than 1 1/2.
Fantasy tip
Whoever the Chargers go with as their lead ball carrier Sunday could be in for a big game based on how the Dolphins’ run defense has performed against running backs, even backups, this season. The Dolphins are allowing an NFL-worst 174.2 yards rushing per game.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The Associated Press
