Chargers vs. Dolphins 2014 picks and predictions: San Diego getting love on road

Two weeks ago, the San Diego Chargers were one of the hottest teams in football at 5-1, battling with the Denver Broncos for supremacy in the AFC West. After consecutive losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Broncos, the Chargers are now in a potentially tenuous spot in the AFC playoff picture.

While still dangers, the Chargers now find themselves struggling with serious injuries. Rookie cornerback Jason Verrett is out with a torn labrum for at least 2-3 weeks, while Ryan Mathews is still recovering from a knee injury. Danny Woodhead (ankele) is also out for the season, limiting San Diego's star power. Philip Rivers is leading the charge with perhaps his best season yet, throwing for 2,213 yards and 20 touchdowns against five interceptions. Among his top targets is Antonio Gates, who at age 34 has 417 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

The Dolphins will try to slow down the eighth-ranked passing attack with a pass rush featuring Olivier Vernon and Cameron Wake. Miami checks in third against the pass due in large part to a front four which has generated 21 sacks, with Vernon and Wake accounting for nine of them. Offensively, Ryan Tannehill has righted the ship after almost being benched before Week 4. The former Texas A&M star has tossed seven touchdowns in four games and enjoyed a 3-1 record over that span.

Over at USA Today, the Dolphins earned five of the seven picks, with the experts believing they will improve to 5-3. The Miami optimism is not shared at CBS Sports, with only Pete Prisco predicting a happy day for the Dolphins. Of the 13 analysts at ESPN, 10 are riding on the Chargers bandwagon, with Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter sticking with Miami.