NFL Week 9 Team Grades: Dolphins Humiliate Chargers To The Tune of 37-0
By Abraham Gutierrez
Behind a stellar performance by quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the Miami Dolphins extended their win streak to three games, pitching a shutout against the San Diego Chargers by a final score of 37-0. The win improves the Fins record to 5-3, as they draw even with the Buffalo Bills (5-3) for second place, while the New England Patriots (7-2) still lead the way in the AFC East.
Meanwhile for the Bolts (5-4), the loss extends their skid to three games and drops them to third place in the AFC West behind the Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) and the division-leading Denver Broncos (6-2).
If the NFL regular season ended tonight, both teams would miss the postseason, as Miami would finish as the seventh seed in the American Football Conference with San Diego dropping to 11th in the standings. The Dolphins are now 4-2 versus intra-conference rivals and the Chargers are 4-3 versus fellow AFC foes.
Miami Dolphins Offense: A+
After a lackluster effort against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, Miami's offense bounced back with a dominant performance versus one of the best defenses in the National Football League. San Diego's defense came into Week 9 ranked fourth in the league in points per game (18.6), 11th in total yards (330.0), seventh against the pass (219.1) and 15th at defending the run (110.9).
Their unpleasant trip to South Florida ended in 37 points, 441 total yards, 309 passing yards and 132 rushing yards. Miami also had 17 more first downs than the Chargers (27-10), were more efficient on the always-crucial third-down conversion facet (8-for-14 versus 3-for-11), and crushed the Southern Californians in the time of possession battle to the tune of 36:07 to 23:53.
The Dolphins leading rushers were: Lamar Miller (11 carries, 49 yards, TD), Ryan Tannehill (4 carries, 47 yards) and Damien Williams (11 carries, 28 yards). And finally, the following players led the way on the receiving end: Charles Clay (5 catches, 65 yards, TD), Mike Wallace (3 catches, 50 yards), Brian Hartline (5 catches 50 yards), Jarvis Landry (5 catches, 46 yards, TD), Damien Williams (2 catches 23 yards), and Rishard Matthews (1 catch, 21 yards, TD).
Miami Dolphins Quarterback: A+
In one of his finest performances of his professional career, Tannehill gave Dolphins fans a quick glimpse of his full potential as an NFL signal-caller. Earning an eye-popping quarterback rating of 125.6 for his efforts, the former Texas A&M standout completed 71 percent of his pass attempts (24-for-34) for 288 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
As stated above, Tannehill was also Miami's second-leading rusher on the day, a role he's becoming accustomed to playing over the past several weeks. "We're just tapping our potential," said the Fins' QB after the game. "But words are cheap. You've got to go out and do it every week."
Miami Dolphins Defense: A+
For a second straight week, the Miami Dolphins defense proved to be the deciding factor in a game that was looked at as a must-win in terms of the AFC playoff picture. Not only did the "D" neutralize the Chargers explosive offense, but they also made the best of their opportunities when turnovers presented themselves.
Cornerback Brent Grimes had a whale of a game, picking off Philip Rivers twice, registered three tackles and defended two passes. Free safety Reshad Jones also got in on the action with five tackles and snatched an interception of his own in the process.
"That's an awesome game - 37-0," Grimes said. "You don't see it that much in the NFL."
With no running game to speak of, Miami's defenders were able to pin their ears back and really put pressure on Rivers. The result was four sacks for a loss of 20 yards. Leading the sack party with one apiece were the following Fins defenders: Cameron Wake (team leader with 6.5 sacks), Randy Starks, Earl Mitchell and Olivier Vernon.
Miami Dolphins Special Teams: A
With both the offense and defense clicking on all cylinders, it was a rather stress free day for Miami's special team's unit. Second-year kicker Caleb Sturgis tallied 13 points on the win, converting on 3-of-4 field goal attempts to go along with four successful point-after tries.
With the Fins' offensive outburst, it was a rather uneventful day for Pro Bowl punter Brandon Fields, who boomed it just twice all game long for an average of 47.0 yards per boot, both inside San Diego's 20-yard line. Finally, Jarvis Landry also had a solid outing in his special team's role, returning 4 punts for 55 yards and a kickoff return for 31 yards.
"I really have to give our assistant coaches and our players a ton of credit," said head coach Joe Philbin, who paced the sidelines with a heavy heart following the death of his father. "I kind of just showed up for the game."
For more Dolphins news and updates, visit Dolphins Central.
Abe Gutierrez is a criminal justice admin whose love for sports led him to become a writer and editor. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com and its partners. His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
