After losing every game that they have played in this season, it’s safe to say that things aren’t exactly going well for the Tony Sparano’s Miami Dolphins?
It was another game where, against good opposition, the Dolphins will go away wondering what might have been; with blown coverages and turnovers putting them in a spot from which they just weren’t capable of overcoming. The NFL remains a game of margins, and for Miami, those fine margins are all too telling.
As for the Chargers, they did exactly what they needed to, as their defense forced Miami to turn the ball over and their offense was firing on all cylinders. If Norv Turner can get his team to play like this week in and week out, it could be enough to reclaim ownership of the AFC West.
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Miami – Three Performances of Note
Mike or Maurkice?
It was somewhat frustrating to hear all the praise that Maurkice Pouncey received last year, as a flawed rookie on a terrible offensive line. He may not have been terrible, but he didn’t warrant the level of praise that he received based on his level of play. So now, when we get a Pouncey who is playing exceptionally well, where is all the hype for him? Mike Pouncey (+2.3) jumped up to third in our center rankings with yet another great game, where he showed that he has what it takes to become one of the league’s top centers. Matching up against the normally excellent Antonio Garay, Pouncey more than held his own, never letting the potentially explosive Garay disrupt the Dolphins’ offense (save for one pressure that he allowed in the third quarter). It’s very rare to see a rookie offensive lineman come into the league and play this well, but watch how he never let Garay move him into the run game, and you’ll start realizing he could and may already be a special center.
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No Moore
If ever a game summed up the kind of player that Matt Moore (+0.1) is, this was it. As with every new quarterback, you’re intrigued to see what he can do. So how do you feel when, on his first throw, he drop backs and lasers a ball in split coverage to tight end Charles Clay? You get excited about the possibilities. Look at that arm, look at that swagger that he must have to come in and do that on his first play. However, at the start of the second quarter, Moore overthrows a receiver so badly, that it went over the head of the deep safety. Maybe you can look past that throw, and the interception that was called back because pass interference stopped the receiver from getting to it (even though it was on a throw that should never have been made), because after all it must be because he’s a little bit nervous, right? Eventually though, you realize this guy just doesn’t get it, and that he’ll always try and force the ball into tight coverage (how close was Takeo Spikes to returning one with 14:56 left in the third) and turnover the ball. But hey, you already know this right?
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Coverage Concerns
While Vontae Davis’s absence is a mitigating circumstance, it’s not an explanation for the shocking day the entire secondary had. Whether it was Yeremiah Bell (-3.2) and Sean Smith (-2.0) both biting on a double move that resulted in a touchdown or Reshad Jones (-2.8) missing three tackles, this was really a day they’d all rather forget. It tells you something that the usual let down, Nolan Carroll (-1.2), walked away relatively unscathed in this one (though he still had his blown coverage moment in the first quarter). The Dolphins thought they had gotten stronger at this position in the offseason, and they figured that they’d found some linebacker help when they signed Kevin Burnett. Since joining the Dolphins, Burnett (-1.9 coverage grade) hasn’t helped the defense, and doesn’t offer the same punch in the running game that Channing Crowder did. All in all, the Chargers found it easy enough moving the ball through the air, with Philip Rivers completing 19 of 21 passes when he wasn’t pressured. This unit needs to do better if the Dolphins hope to win a game in the near future.
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San Diego – Three Performances of Note
Sophomore Stud
It’s fair to say that as a rookie, Ryan Mathews (+3.1) was a bit of a letdown. With that being said, as a sophomore, he`s looked phenomenal. 81 yards may not seem like all that much, especially considering that he only forced two missed tackles, but the Chargers running back showed a real decisiveness in hitting the hole, by making some quick cuts to get defenders out of position, and a nifty second effort to pick up some tough yards (47 yards after contact). His 42.0 elusive rating may not be eye popping, but it does indicate how tough of a time that Dolphin defenders had getting their hands on him.
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A Sound Investment
A few eyebrows were raised after the Chargers made Eric Weddle (+3.5) the highest paid (at the time) safety in the league, as he was a guy without the same record of achievement as some of his peers. In any case, the contract caught the attention of people, and this performance should have everyone on notice that Weddle is one of the best safeties in the league. Sure he had a tough day against New England by his standards, but Weddle was exactly what you’d want a safety to be in this one. He walked away with a pick, had one more called back, and was able to narrow the window for Matt Moore on more than one occasion.
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A Not So Sound Investment
I’ll start by saying that there are worse right tackles in the league than Jeromey Clary (-6.0). While it’s fair to say that it isn’t easy going up against Cameron Wake (who, as he always does, lined up on the left side of the field on all bar four of his 52 defensive snaps), Clary has a lot of trouble going up against other defenders as well, as he was soundly beaten by Kendall Langford with 9:35 left in the third. Throw in a couple of penalties to go with those six total pressures and a negative grade with his run blocking and what do you get? A team that should have brought in a free agent rather than overpaying one of ‘their own’ players.
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Game Notes
● Redefining elusiveness? Reggie Bush scored just a 10.3 rating. Trying to bounce runs outside won’t win you many friends with that rating.
● The Chargers coverage unit managed to intercept two balls, break up three more on their way to allowing 186 yards. It could have been better with one interception called back for a somewhat unnecessary pass interference.
● Of the 11 times Matt Moore was pressured, three turned into sacks.
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PFF Game Ball:
Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego Chargers
Those numbers don’t do justice to how impressively Mathews performed both as a both runner and receiver. With more performances like this, Philip Rivers may not have to single handedly carry the team on his back anymore.
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