Set All Phasers To Stun - or - Did Someone Forget The Chargers? -- UPDATED 4:15pm EST

Every year I have to hear about how great the Chargers are and how they'll be vying for the Super Bowl, yadda yadda.  It seems to me that playing in the worst division in the league has helped to give a boost to the Chargers reputation, because they're one of those teams that have a hit and miss offense (though they hit more than miss) and a 'miss-the-hit' defense, which misses more than it hits.  We seem to play these guys every year for some reason, but we also tend to beat them, so I'm not complaining.  Still, they do have a solid collection of star players and a head coach who's been around the block.  And we're playing in their house, and the Dolphins don't like to go that far West.

So let's take a look at how the Dolphins can come out of San Diego with a win. First, the current injury status:

San Diego:  Shawne Merriman (groin), LaDanian Tomlinson (ankle), Luis Vasquez (knee), Antwan Applewhite (Hamstring), Travis Johnson (groin), Mike Scifres (groin), Eric Weddle (illness), Marcus McNeill (illness), Kris Dielman (illness), Nick Hardwick (ankle/IR).

Miami:  Vernon Carey (knee), Greg Camarillo (back/ribs), Brian Hartline (foot/ankle), Joey Porter (hamstring).
 

GAME PLAN - OFFENSE

To keep it short and sweet, we should do almost exactly what we did on Monday Night.  The Chargers will not be able to stop our running game.   The Chargers run a 3-4, and they are not good at stopping the run, giving up 278 yards in two games.  They do have one of the best secondaries in the league and protect the intermediate routes well.  The most successful passing approach would be screens and the occasional deep throws.  But running the ball should be just as easy if not more so against the Chargers than it was against the Colts.  In fact, I would activate Ronnie Brown in your fantasy league if you've got him.  The most important thing we can do this weekend is to continue to run the ball, keep the opposing offense off the field, and to push it in for touchdowns.  If they kick a FG on 4th and short this week, I may have a stroke.

GAME PLAN - DEFENSE

Now this is where it gets tricky.  Like I said above, and like the Dolphins did on Monday night, the best defense against the Chargers is to keep their offense off the field to begin with.  They are not a quick strike 'O' like the Colts, but they have just enough weapons and a very good QB that can work enough magic to keep OUR offense off the field, which would be a disaster.  

When they ARE on the field, our secondary will be tested.  The Chargers are 31st in the league in rushing yards with 65.  SIXTY-FIVE in two games!!  I don't even want to know who's 32nd.  It looks like once again LT is injured and won't play, so Darren Sproles will be the offensive focus here, and let's be honest, he's probably more dangerous than LT is at this point anyway.  He's not effective as runner, but knowing our team's penchant for missing tackles, he could prove slippery.  Still, he will be used again and again on screen plays, so once again this brings up the question of 'to blitz or not to blitz?'  The Chargers make their money on the screen, so blitzing could backfire  a ton.  The key here, I believe is to consider Sproles a WR, and play a nickel package with an extra safety or corner covering him at all times.  You could use this extra DB on a blitz after the Chargers get comfortable with him being there to cover Sproles.

As for the more traditional receivers, Vincent Jackson is a beast, and a player I wanted desperately to trade for last year, but it's possible the Dolphins think Patrick Turner is the next Vincent Jackson.  Hopefully they've been using him this way in practices, so we'll see how they plan on covering him.  Chris Chambers does not get a lot of looks but he is always a big play threat.  Antonio Gates, obviously, is the biggest worry for us, as we haven't done well covering tight-ends so far this season, although I reiterate that Dallas Clark is not a tight-end, in my book.  So we can't assume that because covering him with a LB was a disaster that we couldn't do the same versus Gates.  His size would be a big mismatch on a safety.  Again, putting in a nickel package for most of the game would help to crowd those short routes and force Philip Rivers to look elsewhere.  And not to sound like a homer, but this strategy would be a perfect time to utilize the skill-set of Jason Allen.  Size, speed, and nose for the ball will be needed, especially if we are to start getting turnovers, something we haven't done yet.

My final point goes back to the blitz packages and QB pressure in general.  Obviously, we didn't get enough in our first two games.  Jason Taylor does not look quick at all like he did in the pre-season.  Porter is trying to speed rush too much and getting beat but I have to give him kudos for looking good against the run.  I don't remember even seeing any reserve rushers last week.  The issue all comes down to these guys beating their blockers.  They're getting stopped at the line of scrimmage, fair and simple.  It might be time to give someone else some reps.  A bullrusher like Cam Wake would be a change-up from the more finesse rushes of Taylor and Porter.  Lining up Porter wide of the line got him his first sack last week...but then they never tried it again!  Sometimes this team's inability to stay with what works can be very frustrating.  This game would also be a great time to throw in a couple of CB blitzes, especially from that nickel position.  Lastly, the Dolphins will have some help this week, as the Chargers lost Center Nick Hardwick for 8 to 10 weeks and have a couple of banged up starters.  They only carry 7 OL on the roster, and now with Hardwick gone and 3 of the 4 other starters nursing injury or illness, they will not be at full strength when we face them.

PREDICTION:      MIA  27   SD  23 

FWIW, the folks at Profootballtalk.com do weekly picks and this is what they had to say about the Dolphins/Chargers game.