The Miami Dolphins should be heading into their Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Chargers with all the momentum on their side. Instead, the Dolphins blew a 17-point lead and sit at 1-4, desperately needing a win Sunday.
While the Chargers had a much better start to the season than Miami, they have fallen apart over the past couple weeks. What started as a 3-0 team looking to contend for the No. 1 seed is now a 3-2 team in need of a get-right game.
Los Angeles is probably the better team, but that doesn’t mean Miami should be ruled out from a victory. If the Dolphins use the Chargers’ negative momentum against them and adjust to what they have been struggling with, Miami could send the Chargers back to LA with a third straight loss.
Here are five players that will be crucial for the Dolphins in their Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday:
RB De’Von Achane
While he’s been the Dolphins’ most valuable player so far this season, running back Achane could use some more consistency in his usage. Miami relies on the back greatly, but they haven’t been letting him flex his chops as a rusher much.
Last week, Achane achieved just 16 yards on 10 attempts, but he’s generally a more efficient rusher than that. He averaged five or more yards per carry in three of the Dolphins’ games so far this season, yet he only has one game with more than 12 rushing attempts.
He’s a great receiver, so it’s not an issue that he has 32 targets through the air. But he should get more run on the ground. The Chargers have allowed 608 rushing yards this year, making them a middle-of-the-pack run defense.
Achane should stay involved in the passing attack, but it’s worth seeing if he can help the team establish a run game against the Chargers.
WR Malik Washington
With Tyreek Hill out for the rest of the season, it seemed likely second-year receiver Malik Washington would see an uptick in production. While there was a clear effort to involve him in the offense, not much came from the efforts.
Washington turned five targets into four catches for a net zero yards. His longest reception of the day went for eight yards, and his other three completions combined for negative eight yards.
It’s good that coach Mike McDaniel and the Miami offense tried to get Washington involved, but they have to do a better job putting him in advantageous positions instead of just getting him the ball.
OLB Jaelan Phillips
This Sunday’s meeting will pit one of the worst pass rush groups in the league against one of the worst pass-protecting units in the NFL.
Miami’s Jaelan Phillips will be a big factor in deciding who comes out on top in the meeting. Phillips leads the Dolphins in quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, but that has amounted to only one sack, which came last week against the Panthers.
This week, his on-paper matchup is favorable. But if he’s lined up across from the left side of the Los Angeles offensive line, he’ll have to beat the Chargers’ best offensive lineman.
Second-year Joe Alt didn’t need much time in the league to become one of the NFL’s best protectors. If Phillips gives Alt a challenge, the rest of the pass rush could have more of a chance to make an impact. If Alt misses his second-straight game with an injury, Phillips could finally see his pressures turn into sacks.
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
During the offseason, last year’s slot corner, Kader Kohou, was expected to assume the role once again. When Kohou went down with a season-ending injury, though, Miami had to find a solution.
Through five games, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has been the go-to defensive back in the slot. He currently leads the team with 88 reps in the position, according to PFF.
With the Chargers coming to town, Fitzpatrick will be key to helping stop the Chargers’ elite route runners. Ladd McConkey is a slot specialist so far in his career, and Keenan Allen is no stranger to the short middle areas of the field.
If Fitzpatrick gives the two too much cushion, they’ll likely make Miami pay.
CB Rasul Douglas
With the Chargers losing their top running backs, Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton, over the past few weeks, Los Angeles likely will throw the ball plenty. But it won’t just be in the slot.
Third-year pass catcher Quentin Johnston has been one of the biggest breakout players of the year so far. Currently, Johnston is sitting at 26 catches for 377 yards and four touchdowns.
While Jack Jones was one of the top names brought in to bolster the secondary, Rasul Douglas has been the better player so far. There’s a chance Los Angeles tests both corners often, so Douglas could see the ball heading his way frequently.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 5 Dolphins players to watch vs. the Chargers in Week 6
Reporting by Kyle Bumpers, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
