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San Diego's offense features a trio of Pro Bowlers in tight end Antonio Gates, wide receiver Chris Chambers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson
DOLPHINS PLAY HOST TO CHARGERS
GAME FACTS
Date: Sunday, Oct. 5
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Site: Dolphin Stadium, Miami, Fla.
TV: CBS
THE SERIES
Series Record: Dolphins lead 13-12 (including playoffs)
At Miami: Dolphins lead 7-4
At San Diego: Chargers lead 8-5
At Arizona (2003 game because of wildfires in Southern California): Dolphins lead 1-0
Last Meeting: 2005 at San Diego; Dolphins 23, Chargers 21
Series Highlight: The Dolphins have had a lot of good playoff performances in their history, but they probably never dominated an opponent the way they did the Chargers on Jan. 10, 1993. On a rainy afternoon at Dolphin Stadium, the Dolphins got three first-half touchdown passes from Dan Marino and intercepted Stan Humphries four times on their way to a 31-0 victory.
Series Lowlight: This game will represent the earliest date the teams have met since the 1986 season opener, which was a day the Dolphins and their fans want to forget. Dan Marino threw three touchdown passes on Sept. 7, 1986, but the Miami defense was burned for 517 yards by the Chargers - and the result was a 50-28 rout for San Diego.
SCOUTING REPORT
San Diego's record: 2-2
Last game: Won at Oakland, 28-18
The San Diego Offense: The Chargers will come to Miami as the highest-scoring team in the league, this despite being at less than 100 percent in the first month of the season. This is an offense with a lot of weapons, starting with probably the best running back in the game, LaDainian Tomlinson. He is one of those who has been at less than 100 percent and hasn't put up big numbers yet, although he had a huge fourth quarter last Sunday at Oakland. His backup, Darren Sproles, is a dynamic change-of-pace back. Former first-round pick Philip Rivers is off to a tremendous start at quarterback, and it's obvious he's benefited from the presence of former Dolphins wideout Chris Chambers. Chambers has caught only eight passes this season, but four of them have gone for touchdowns. Then you throw in tight end extraordinaire Antonio Gates (who's recovering from a significant toe injury), and you have an offense that will present serious problems for the Dolphins. Getting pressure on Rivers, who is not very mobile, is an absolute must for the Dolphins in this game.
The San Diego Defense: The Chargers defense was expected to be on par with the team's offense, but it hasn't played out that way so far this season. The Chargers' pass defense was particularly vulnerable in the early weeks, giving up last-minute game-winning touchdowns in the first two games. The Chargers have had to go on without Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman, who is out for the season after deciding to have knee surgery, but there's still plenty of talent left on the defense. Outside linebacker Shaun Phillips may not be as good a pass rusher as Merriman, but he's not far behind. The Chargers also have been difficult to run against in recent years, thanks in large part to the very large Jamal Williams. He's the anchor on a very good defensive line that also includes Luis Castillo and Igor Olshansky. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie made the Pro Bowl last season, and he appears to be bouncing back after a tough start. The Chargers also will welcome back this week starting inside linebacker Stephen Cooper, who was suspended for the first four games for violating the league's policy on banned substances.
The San Diego Special Teams: In addition to being a dangerous weapon on offense, Sproles is a dynamic kick returner. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown at Denver and took one back 67 yards to set up the game-winning field goal at Oakland. Given the Dolphins' problems in kickoff coverage - that was about the only thing that went wrong in the big victory at New England - stopping Sproles clearly is a concern. In addition to Sproles, the Chargers have top-notch kicking specialists in punter Mike Scifres (he's averaging more than 50 yards per punt) and placekicker Nate Kaeding.
LOOKING AHEAD
OCT. 12 - DOLPHINS AT HOUSTON
There aren't many teams in the league that have had a more painful start to the season than the Texans, who not only are 0-3 but also had their home opener postponed because of Hurricane Ike. Houston finally showed some life offensively in its last loss, 30-27 in overtime at Jacksonville, with Matt Schaub passing for more than 300 yards. The Dolphins will be playing at Reliant Stadium for the third consecutive year and will be looking for their first victory over the Texans in four tries overall.
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