The road to prosperity is not easy in the AFC conference, which was evident on the first Sunday of the 2023-2024 NFL season.
The Miami Dolphins kicked off their season at Sofi Stadium, facing off against the Los Angeles Chargers.
70,000+ filled the stadium to watch the aesthetically pleasing matchup as the Dolphins outlasted the Chargers 36-34.
The two young franchise quarterbacks dominated the game. Justin Herbert of the Chargers and Tua Tagovaiola of the Dolphins were outstanding, as the Dolphins explosive offense proved too much for the star-studded Chargers defense.
The Chargers started the scoring with a 14-play, 94-yard touchdown drive capped by running back Austin Ekeler. The stocky back from northern Colorado has the most touchdowns since 2021 by a longshot. His 39 touchdowns in the past three seasons leads the NFL by more than 10. Ekeler finished the game with 117 yards, including a one-yard touchdown.
The Chargers were highly productive on the ground, rushing for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Joshua Kelly got the ball 16 times for 91 yards and a touchdown, and even Herbert showed his ‘Track Town’ roots and ran for 20 yards and a touchdown.
The Chargers offense looked as strong as ever. The former Oregon Duck looked confident and in charge of the offense as he threw for 228 with a 99.1 QBR.
The real story is what Miami did to the Chargers defense.
Miami produces a very entertaining brand of football led by Tagovailoa and a stacked WR room of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Hill has previously stated that he will be the first 2,000-yard receiver in history, and his extremely high goal is off to a great start. His 215 yards are the third-highest total in week 1 in NFL history. He caught the ball 11 times and broke the plane of the endzone twice.
Tagovailoa looked very comfortable in the pocket after his tumultuous ’22-’23 season. The Alabama alumnus threw for 466 yards, the fourth most in an opener, and three touchdowns for a 110 QBR. In a game that saw nine lead changes, a four-yard Tua-Tyreek connection with less than two minutes left was ultimately the deciding factor.
On the Dolphins last drive, Tua went 5/7 for 71 yards and a TD. On their first set of downs, the Dolphins were staring a 3rd and 10 down on their own 25-yard line. Chargers fans at Sofi were loud as Tua made a beautiful on-the-run throw 40+ yards to Tyreek, quieting the crowd and stealing the momentum all in one play.
Tagovailoa’s 466 yards was the most the Chargers have ever given up, and it questions head coach Brandon Staley’s validity. The young coach was hailed as a ‘defensive genius’ when he was hired as the Chargers head coach in the offseason leading into the ’21-’22 season. But since he was hired, the Chargers have given up the fourth most points and the sixth most yards.
This defense has names like Khalil Mack, Erik Kendricks, Derwin James, Joey Bosa, and J.C. Jackson. The list goes on. The fact this defense let up nearly 40 points on 536 total yards is mind-boggling. They let up nine plays for 20+ yards, and the Dolphins’ 8.25 Yards Per Play is miles above the San Francisco 49ers and their 5.92 YDS/PLY.
Jackson, who had the only interception for the Chargers, made a terrible pass interference as the seconds were ticking down to the half. This flag moved the Dolphins into field goal territory and allowed them to take the lead going into the break.
Staley is supposed to be in charge of the Defense, and on top of the countless questionable time management decisions he has made, I believe he is on the hot seat if the Chargers don’t get things together.
Staley’s first playoff performance came crashing down as amazingly as expected. He and the Chargers were up 27-0 at halftime in the ’22 Wild Card game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. An incredibly long string of mistakes diverted the Chargers into a 31-30 loss, one of the biggest embarrassments a coach can face.
The head coach is dragging down the Chargers’ incredible roster, and if nothing is done about it, we may see the prime of one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league get wasted right in front of our eyes.
The beauty of week one is that all of these storylines will get buried, and teams have a lot of time to get things back on track. The Chargers, alongside the Dolphins, are among the highest-touted teams in the AFC. This particular matchup could be a playoff game in January.
The Chargers travel to Tennessee to play the Titans next Sunday in the early window. The Dolphins get their first primetime game in Foxborough as they play the Patriots on Sunday Night Football.
