Los Angeles Chargers held on for an exciting victory despite an late rally by Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium during Week 6. Miami opened up with an early lead as Malik Washington returned the opening kickoff 45 yards; but on their next play from scrimmage quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s pass deflected off wide receiver Jaylen Waddle into safety Tony Jefferson for an interception and set back their chances.
In the second quarter, the Chargers took back the lead as Justin Herbert connected with rookie Oronde Gadsden for a 21-yard gain and later beat off Dolphins pass rush to throw Ladd McConkey a 5-yard touchdown pass in the Chargers Vs Miami Dolphins Match Player Stats.
Following a three-and-out by the Miami offense, the Chargers’ defense continued its strong play. Cornerback Rasul Douglas registered seven tackles, forced fumble, fumble recovery and recovered it; Linebacker Jordyn Brooks recorded nine stops while adding one sack as well.
In the fourth quarter, De’Von Achane scored on a 4-yard run to bring Miami within six points; however, Chargers defense held firm and secured victory for them.
| Date | Match | Result | Key Player Stats / Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2025 | Los Angeles Chargers vs Miami Dolphins | Chargers 29–27 Dolphins | Justin Herbert: 264 yards, 2 TD; De’Von Achane: 128 rush yards, 2 TD (ESPN.com) |
| Sep 10, 2023 | Miami Dolphins vs Los Angeles Chargers | Dolphins 36–34 Chargers | High-scoring game; Tua & Herbert both delivered strong passing performances |
| Dec 27, 2020 | Los Angeles Chargers vs Miami Dolphins | Dolphins 29–21 Chargers | Dolphins defense forced turnovers; balanced offense secured win |
| Nov 15, 2019 | Miami Dolphins vs Los Angeles Chargers | Dolphins 24–17 Chargers | Miami dominated possession; efficient rushing attack |
| Nov 13, 2016 | San Diego Chargers vs Miami Dolphins | Dolphins 31–24 Chargers | Dolphins comeback win; strong second-half performance |
Los Angeles Chargers O-Line
The Chargers have endured an uneven season on offense with key personnel like starting right guard Rashawn Slater being placed on injured reserve and left tackle Joe Alt suffering a high ankle sprain. Additionally, Mekhi Becton and Trey Pipkins II will likely miss this game.
Even with their inconsistent O-line play, the Chargers’ offense has produced impressive pass attack metrics this season.
Keenan Allen and Ladd McConkey rank in the top ten for receiving yards per game while tight end Darren Waller stands eighth in terms of receiving touchdowns. Furthermore, their running game has improved slightly but De’Von Achane has seen his attempts decrease from 46.4% last season to 63.28% now.
On the other hand, Tua Tagovailoa’s quarterback play has been outstanding this year for the Chargers. Our predictive model’s predictive rating based on his tendencies and matchup dynamics ranks him third-best in the league and his third down success rate (46.7 percent) ranks second. Unfortunately his ability to generate extra yardage has dropped considerably – Jaylen Waddle only notching 0.02 yards-after-catch mark this season instead of 5.51 last year.
Los Angeles Chargers D-Line
The Chargers defense has been underperforming this season despite their injury woes, yet is still contributing remarkably. Interior DL Joe Alt has two sacks, four TFL, 46 tackles and is leading his team in sacks while rookie DT Teair Tart has begun making an impression (he leads them all with 13 so far).
De’Von Achane has established himself as a reliable running threat with 173 yards and three touchdowns in 2018. Given their loss of two key running backs, Achane should see increased usage on offense.
Opponents have attempted an average of 28.8 pass attempts per game against the Chargers this season, which ranks second-lowest among NFL teams. Their offensive line has struggled mightily protecting quarterback Philip Rivers while Jaylen Waddle has seen his talent for extra yardage decrease to an unbearable rate of zero yards-after-the-catch.
Aaron Brewer has a pectoral strain and will likely face off against an elite run defense, making his status uncertain for this game. Rookie offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea could step in as a possible replacement in case that becomes necessary.
Los Angeles Chargers T-Line
After an uncharacteristically slow start, the Chargers quickly recovered. On their first play from scrimmage, cornerback Rasul Douglas forced a fumble which linebacker Jordyn Brooks recovered at Miami’s 27-yard line.
Shortly thereafter, quarterback Ladd McConkey caught a 42-yard touchdown pass to advance play inside Miami’s 17-yard line, setting them up for kicker Cameron Dicker to convert their field goal attempt.
Jaylen Waddle has seen his play calls decrease considerably this season, yet still contributes significantly to their passing game with an outstanding 52.2 Weighted Opportunity Rating score (an advanced statistical measure of offensive volume). The model projects that the Dolphins will run 60.8 plays this week – the lowest on their schedule.
Malik Washington returned the opening kickoff 45 yards, setting up great field position. However, on his next touch he was limited to just two yards and was eventually held to just two total.
On their subsequent drive Tagovailoa connected with Waddle for a 45-yard pass down the left sideline which moved them forward before finding Darren Waller for a 7-yard touchdown pass which tied up the score at 7.
Los Angeles Chargers CB
The Chargers defense is led by Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Additionally, their defensive unit includes safety Derwin James as well as rookie DBs Kenneth Murray and Sebastian Joseph-Day who help keep opponents in check. Their pass rush may not be overwhelming but can bring significant fantasy value.
At least, their defense hasn’t allowed a single rushing touchdown this season and ranks T-10 in takeaways and T-26 in sacks, making Week 8 against Saints one of the more interesting matchups this season. Although CB J.C. Jackson (ankle injury) will likely miss this matchup, that shouldn’t prevent fantasy managers from targeting this unit!
Los Angeles’ defense made headlines this past Sunday against Dallas when it forced two turnovers and recorded four sacks, garnering fantasy interest due to the absence of its top cornerbacks Kenneth Murray and Morgan Fox.
Furthermore, Dallas’ offense is an unlikely fit against Los Angeles’ defense, with their offensive line ranking dead last in pocket protection and their talent for creating extra yardage decreasing steadily until it averaged just 0.00 yards-after-catch this year.
Los Angeles Chargers WR
Jaylen Waddle performed like Jermaine Kearse with a 45-yard catch to put Miami within reach of their red zone, then Tagovailoa rolled right and found tight end Darren Waller for a seven-yard touchdown to pull them within 13-9.
Miami took an immediate advantage after receiving the Chargers punt by orchestrating one of their finest drives of the season, featuring De’Von Achane running to the left sideline and sprinting 49 yards unimpeded for his fifth rushing touchdown of 2018. Riley Patterson converted the extra point, giving Miami a 7-3 edge.
Rasul Douglas forced Tua Tagovailoa to fumble, with Kimani Vidal recovering it at Miami 37-yard line. Two plays later, Herbert connected with McConkey on a 5-yard touchdown pass to put Chargers ahead 16-13 and seize control in second half.
Los Angeles Chargers RB
The Chargers have used three wide receivers on 58% of their snaps, the second highest rate in the NFL. Keaton Mitchell ran routes on 47% of his plays last week and was targeted on 86% of their passing plays, providing owners with an affordable touchdown-dependent flex option for scoring opportunities.
Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu and Odafe Oweh will provide the Steelers offensive line with an immense challenge when they meet against them in San Diego on Sunday. These edge defenders have allowed only an average of 4.9 yards per rush attempt over the last year – second lowest among league opponents.
The Chargers were established in 1959, joining the American Football League (AFL) as a charter member in 1960. For their inaugural 56 seasons they played out of Los Angeles before moving to San Diego; today the Chargers play their home games at SoFi Stadium near Inglewood with an arc-shaped lightning bolt serving as their signature logo; during 2017-2019 when SoFi Stadium was under construction they also donned throwback uniforms reminiscent of their early 1960s look for special games at Dignity Health Sports Park nearby.
