(East Los Angeles, CA) [From The Editor’s Desk]: It was the Los Angeles Chargers’ Week #14 and for the second time a national audience awaited their match-up on NBC’s Sunday Night Football (SNF) in this 2022 NFL schedule. Along with this pivotal game, a great anticipation of a playoff enhancing win against the AFC/North, Miami Dolphins (8-4), led into SoFi by their outstanding quarterback, #1/Tua Tagovailoa, was definitely on the minds of Chargers Nation.

The Bolts were most competently led by their own high-profile and model quarterback, #10/Justin Herbert who has progressed remarkably well since Week #2, when he was injured against the Chiefs. A healthy Herbert signifies a healthy outlook to compete strongly for a “Wild Card” bid.

But the Dolphins had been scaring the lights out of their opponents and their respective Coaching Staffs due to the explosive and stealth nature of their unreadable “Rass-Pass-Option” strategy led by Tagovailoa and his primary targeted receivers, #10/Tyreek Hill and #17/Jaylen Waddle. The Chargers defense had its work cut-out ahead of time as they prepared to expose  it.

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-Game Summary-

[1st Qtr]: Like the proverbial Heavyweight Boxing title fight, both parties entered the contest trying to feel each other out before really mixing it up. Such was the case as neither team was powered by a high octane gasoline brand, at least for this opening period. Not much more to mention as they played to a scoreless 1st round.

[2nd Qtr]: Game plans were still being tweaked and resulted in more activity and scoring opportunities. The Bolts got up on the board first at the (14:14) mark when Coach Staley sent in his field goal kicking team after going 8 plays, 43 yards, and consuming 3:22. Kicker, #15/Cameron Dicker, confidently buried his first field goal, a 33 yarder.

The Dolphins then went “3 & out” and the ball came back to the Chargers who made the most of this one and managed to score on a 10 yard pass from Herbert to #81/Michael Williams catching it on his tip-toes in the back of the end zone. This came at the (9:49) mark. The score was now (10-0) Chargers.

The Dolphins finally got their engine in gear on their ensuing possession and at the (8:45) mark scored on an ESPN Top #10 highlight when the Chargers coughed up the ball and in the middle of a scrum, guess what? the ball was batted away and somehow exited from a hole in the scrum. That’s when Tyreek Hill scooped it up and in a flash was on a dash some 60 yards to the end zone and Miami’s first TD. It was now, Chargers 10, Dolphins 7.

The Chargers mounted another successful drive with (4:00) left in the half. Herbert was on target with his own “RPO” plan and showed it with completions to his highly skilled WRs/Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and runner/turned receiver, Austin Ekeler. The drive took 13 plays, covered 90 yards, and consumed (3:45) off the clock, with the Ekeler 1 yard score coming at (00:18) left to play. This pushed the score to a ten point lead at (17-7), as teams went into their locker rooms.

[HALF TIME]: Chargers  17  Dolphins  7

[3rd Qtr]: The first (8:00) minutes featured punts by both teams. Then on Miami’s 2nd possession, they found pay-dirt with a sideline “bomb” caught by none other than, #10/T. Hill who then sprinted away from a falling #43/CB/Mike Davis, who somehow had caught his cleats with Hill’s. This came at the (6:23) mark, closing the gap to just 3, at (17-14).

The Bolts weren’t phased too much as they drove down to the Miami “Red Zone” on their next drive. Again, Herbert’s targeting of Williams and Allen proved to be “key” in advancing the ball downfield, as Coach Staley went for 3 points by K/C. Dicker, after a penalty stalled the desired outcome of a touchdown. This time, his boot came from 31 yards out. The drive went 6 plays, 62 yard, and gobbled up (2:05) in time. The score now read, Chargers 20  Miami  14.

[4th Qtr]: On the Bolts second drive, they put together a clinic on clock management and game plan execution with Herbert finding Allen for 1st downs, and and using Ekeler as a “mixer” to pick up positive yardage on the ground. Coach Staley even showed his “Wild Cat” play with Ekeler taking the snap while Herbert watched as a WR.

The Chargers dominated the time of possession and with (2:40) remaining in the game Staley asked their place-kicking specialist to once more give them badly need points to increase their lead to a double score with time running out. And so with his number called, for the 3rd time, Dicker delivered from 28 yards away, Chargers, 23 Dolphins  14.

However, there was still time left for the Dolphins to go all out for a “quick-strike” TD, but it was thwarted by the Bolts swarming defense. Tagovailoa mustered the best he could and managed to take his team down to the Chargers 37 and they did score with a 55 yard field goal, cutting the lead to (23-17).

The Dolphins did try an “on-side” kick with th highest of hopes to recover, but it was recovered by Bolts’ Special Teams member, #31/LB/Nick Niemann. Herbert finished the game by taking the last two snaps in “Victory” formation, as time ran out to end the game.

[FINAL SCORE]: Chargers  23  Dolphins  17

This was obviously a highly important game for both squads, as a victory was greatly needed by each for “positive” playoff gradings and considerations .

[Chargers Stat-Line]: Herbert 39/51=367 yds./1 TD; Keenan Allen/12 catches=92 yds; Mike Williams/6 catches=116 yds; Austin Ekeler 6 catches=59 yds. & rushing: 15 carries=45 yds. Dicker/3-3 field goals=9 points.

[Next Up]: Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 18th, 1:25 PM | To Watch: CBS; To Listen, tune in to: ALT 98.7 FM • QUE BUENA 105.5/94.3 FM