Chargers-Dolphins Preview: Can Miami Get Its First Win?
(CBS Miami/CBS Local) -- The Dolphins welcome the Los Angeles Dolphins to Miami this Sunday. The Chargers, at 1-2, are looking to course-correct their season after a couple of near misses. A Week 4 game against the NFL's worst team may seem like the perfect antidote for the slow-starting Bolts. The Dolphins are hoping to salvage what they can from a season that's going downhill fast.
Lucky for them this Week 4 matchup has upset potential.
The Dolphins "...look like [a historically bad team]," according to SportsLine senior analyst Larry Hartstein. "0-3, have been outscored by 117 points. That hasn't happened since 1923." Their offense and defense are among the worst -- if not the worst -- in the League.
But they also showed some progress in Week 3. "I did see some positives at Dallas last week," Hartstein recalls. "They out-gained the Cowboys in the first half by 12 yards. Who would have guessed that?"
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A decent half of football in the NFL won't often net a win for a substandard team. But it can create a foundation of confidence for a young team to build on. And Brian Flores and the Dolphins coaches are looking for anything -- anything -- to build on.
"They fought hard, they competed hard," observed Hartstein. "And they were covering until less than four minutes [left] in the game, when Dallas got a late touchdown." That's progress from the previous two losses.
Philip Rivers is playing well, as has come to be expected from the future Hall of Famer. But the Chargers continue to miss some key components on both sides of the ball, including wide receiver Mike Williams, who's now slowed by a back issue, and tight end Hunter Henry, who has a knee injury. The secondary is also decimated by injuries. The team welcomed back Melvin Gordon Thursday from his contract holdout, but he won't play again until Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, "they have got a couple of key guys -- Reshad Jones, Albert Wilson -- who are close to returning," notes Hartstein. Josh Rosen can have a little success, if he focuses on the things he can control.
Multiple other factors could affect the outcome. "...You look at this Chargers team going cross-country. They have wilted the last three second halves they have played. They have been out-scored badly in the second half. Having to travel, in the heat of south Florida."
An upset for the Dolphins is still a long-shot. But a scare for the Chargers, who are not playing their best football, is well within the realm of possibility. The Bolts will continue to do what they do, but will that be enough to keep down the hungry young Fins?
The Chargers play the Dolphins Sunday @ 10 a.m. PT on CBS.
