Chargers vs. Dolphins 2013: Win moves Miami back to .500

The Miami Dolphins defeated the San Diego Chargers 20-16 on Sunday afternoon at Sun Life Stadium.

Miami earned a very important win, getting to 5-5 on the season while dropping the Chargers to 4-6. Both teams are fighting for the sixth and final seed in the AFC playoff picture, and the Dolphins took a huge step forward after looking dead in the water the previous Monday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 22-19 loss.

San Diego outgained Miami 435-343 in total yardage but was undone by 10 penalties and poor tackling. The Chargers wasted a great day from running back Ryan Mathews, who rushed for 127 yards on 19 carries.

Miami's win moves them back up to .500 on the season, with a 5-5 record, and into a tie with the New York Jets for the second position in the AFC East and the sixth seed in the playoffs. Currently, the Jets have the tie breaker on the Dolphins, based on their 2-2 division record while Miami has an 0-2 record.

However, the two teams have not yet faced each other, meaning Miami can still reclaim the tie breaker. The Dolphins visit the Jets in Week 13, while the Jets head south to Miami in Week 17.

As for the Chargers, three straight losses have them staring at a must-win game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12. San Diego is still only a game behind MIami and New York for the final playoff spot but needs to make a push now.

John Gennaro of Bolts From The Blue puts this game on head coach Mike McCoy, who he believes has faulty logic:

He coaches out of fear, and puts himself in a position to not interfere with the outcome. He won't win games by creating more opportunities for his offense, which is one of the best offenses in the league. Instead, he'll lean on his defense, which is the worst in the league, to do that for him. It's a classic deflection style of coaching that allows him to put the blame on the players when it doesn't work.