BFTB Roundtable: Chargers vs. Dolphins Week 14 score predictions

The Los Angeles Chargers are hosting the Miami Dolphins for the first of what will be the two most important games of the Chargers season if they want to make the playoffs. The Dolphins and the Tennessee Titans are the last of the “playoff” teams the Chargers will play this season and where the Chargers are in the playoff hunt both are basically “must win” games.

Pile on top of that what has become one of the most heated, and exhausting, debates on “NFL Twitter”: Tua vs Herbert. Most people can just admit, and appreciate, that they are both very good quarterbacks, but because of certain personalities online, and the fact that they are both from the top of that all time 2020 draft class, every time their two teams play each other it will become a “Tua vs Herbert” game.

So with all that said, if you’re curious to see what our staff predicted for this game, keep reading below, then jump into the conversation in the comments.

DraftKings has the Chargers as a 3.5-point favorite at home.

Michael Peterson: The Chargers always seem to play up or down to the competition level of their opponent. This week, I see them putting up a fight against the Dolphins while somehow limiting the production of both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle before things start to come unraveled in the fourth quarter. At the end of the day, the field-stretching abilities of the Dolphins receivers will be too much to overcome as the Chargers fall to 6-7 with four games remaining in the 2022 regular season.

Final Score: Dolphins 30-26

Matthew Stanley: There are a couple big names on both the Dolphins and Chargers that don’t have final game status yet that will be pretty important to the game. For the Chargers that would be WR Mike Williams, S Derwin James, and C Corey Linsley. For the Dolphins, OT Terron Armstead, and wide receivers Tyreek Hill has missed practice with an illness and Jaylen Waddle isn’t 100% after leaving the game early with an injury last week. Those players playing or not playing, at 100% or gutting it out are a part of every team at this point in the season and with all that said, I think even if all of those players’ status break in the Chargers favor, the Chargers are still facing a very uphill battle to win this game. The Dolphins are better coached and are healthier and more explosive on both sides of the ball. As much as I want the Chargers to win this game, I just don’t see it happening unless a very different team than the one that lost to the Raiders last week shows up.

Final Score: Dolphins 31 - 23

Garrett Sisti: Fully healthy, the Dolphins vs. Chargers is a marque matchup, which is why this game got flexed to primetime, but we won’t get that on Sunday night. Even with both teams banged up, this is setup to be a good one. The way to beat the Dolphins is to get to Tua or Teddy depending on who’s under center and the Chargers pass rush has been nonexistent. Pair that with the speed of these Miami receivers and I think it’ll be too much for the Chargers to handle. It’ll be close but the Dolphins will make more explosive plays to pull away.

Final Score: Dolphins win 27-23