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The Los Angeles Chargers came into week 4 after a pair of bad losses, but as 16.5-point road favorites against the Miami Dolphins. Things looked less than ideal early on, but in the second half, it was clear just how much better the Bolts were than their opponents as they romped to an easy win.
The Good
Austin Ekeler
The Chargers RB1 was simply phenomenal today as he completely dominated the Miami Dolphins’ defense with 60 rushing yards, 5 receptions for 62 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns (one through the air and one on the ground).
Philip Rivers
El Capitan’s stat line is impressive with 310 passing yards and a pair of scores, but it does not do justice to how good he was today. Despite playing without his starting left tackle, two of his starting wide receivers, two of his top three running backs, and having his starting left guard get benched, he was in complete control all day long. And those two passing touchdowns were set up by fantastic movement in and out of the pocket by Rivers.
Ty Long
The rookie punter filling in for the Money Badger was once again called upon to handle punting, kick offs, and field goal duties. During the game, he also appeared to sustain an injury, so with no real backup, he had to do those things at less than 100%. He was more than up to the task going 3 for 3 on extra points as well as 3 for 3 on field goals including a 51-yarder.
Desmond King
The Chargers’ do-it-all slot corner was not only excellent in coverage, he was also hugely impactful as a pass rusher. King amassed 2.5 sacks including one that should have been ruled a safety. He was simply outstanding.
The Bad
The First Half
While the second half was pretty much all sunshine and rainbows, the first half was a horrible collection of poor tackling, stupid coaching decisions, and awful penalties. A pair of missed field goals by the Dolphins helped make the first half look better than it really was. Overall, though, it’s hard to pick too many “bad” things in a game that was won by 20 points.
The Ugly
Injuries
Sean Culkin, Uchenna Nwosu, Denzel Perryman, Dontrelle Inman, Melvin Ingram, and the previously mentioned Ty Long were all affected by injuries throughout today’s game. Ingram missed most of the game. Inman and Nwosu were able to return and Long never exited. Perryman suffered a concussion that kept him from returning. Culkin actually tore his Achilles which will end his season.