The San Diego Chargers find themselves in the basement in the AFC West, a division that now features three playoff-contending teams. At 4-5, the Chargers aren't completely out of things, but they are now an afterthought in the division going into a Sunday game against the Miami Dolphins.
Dolphins vs. Chargers 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
It will be Jay Ajayi vs. Melvin Gordon on Sunday when the Dolphins travel to Qualcomm Stadium.
San Diego has what is considered an easy schedule from here on out, at least until the team faces the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in rematches later this season. If the Chargers want to get back in the running for the AFC West, they can't afford to lose to the mediocre teams still on the schedule, including Miami, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Cleveland Browns.
The big story on the field Sunday will be the battle of the young running backs. Both Melvin Gordon of the Chargers and Jay Ajayi of the Dolphins struggled as rookies, and entered this season with more questions than answers. Both have exceeded expectations in a big way.
Gordon had a paltry 3.5 yards per carry and no touchdowns in 14 games played a a rookie. This year, he has 193 carries for 768 yards and nine touchdowns, a per-carry average of 4.0 yards. He's looked like a feature back, and does everything the Chargers ask of him. He also has 28 receptions for 284 yards and two touchdowns.
It took a bit longer for Ajayi to get going. In nine games last season, Ajayi had 187 yards, a touchdown, and a 3.8 yards-per-carry average. He wasn’t the main back in Miami to start the season, rushing for under 50 yards in each of the team’s first four games.
But over the past three weeks and following Arian Foster’s retirement, Ajayi has been incredible. He’s rushed for 529 yards in the past three games, while putting up four touchdowns on top of that. On the season, he has 108 carries for 646 yards and six touchdowns, with a per-carry average of 6.0 yards.
He'll have rookie Joey Bosa to look out for. Bosa, after a prolonged holdout this offseason and an early season hamstring injury, is catching on and looks like the top-5 pick the Chargers made him. He has four sacks in five games and will try his best to hassle Ryan Tannehill on Sunday.
Below is all you need to know to watch Sunday’s game.
How to Watch Dolphins vs. Chargers on Sunday
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Jamie Erdahl
Online Streaming: Sunday Ticket
Three big things to know
1. Philip Rivers is doing fine. Rivers is consistent, and he’s keeping the Chargers competitive every week. This season, he’s completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,560 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
2. Chargers are actually good against the run. More pressure could be on Tannehill on Sunday than in recent weeks, as the Chargers are actually good at stopping the run, ranking fifth in the league in rushing defense. The Chargers allow just 85.3 rushing yards per game, so it may fall on Tannehill to have to beat them with his arm.
3. Tannehill might not be the franchise quarterback. Ajayi is doing a lot to distract from the fact that Tannehill has not looked good this season. Tannehill has eight touchdowns against seven interceptions, and is looking less and less like he’s the actual franchise quarterback for the Dolphins. The team gave him a contract extension just last year, but Tannehill, despite flashes of strong play over the years, has consistently been average to below average as a starter.
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