LOS ANGELES – Draft Course of 2020 alums Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert are making ready to experience just about every other for the 2nd time – and with much more at stake for their respective groups.
The two quarterbacks are seeking to do a thing classmates Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts have previously accomplished: get to the postseason.
Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins bring an 8-4 record into Sunday night’s showdown and are in place to make the playoffs for the initially time due to the fact 2016.
Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers (6-6) have not been to the postseason considering that 2018 and sit one particular video game driving the New York Jets for the ultimate spot in the AFC.
Tagovailoa was the fifth overall choose 3 a long time back even though Herbert went a person location afterwards. Herbert said it has been hard to establish camaraderie with his classmates since of how COVID-19 affected the draft.
“A whole lot of it was separated, so we were not in a position to work out with each other and points like that,” Herbert stated. “For the most portion, it was just examining in when we were being at the scouting incorporate and items like that.”
Both teams are coming off losses. The Fins had a five-activity successful streak snapped past 7 days at San Francisco and the Bolts fell at Oakland, their 3rd defeat in the previous four video games.
Tagovailoa has thrived below the offense mounted by 1st-year coach Mike McDaniel. He qualified prospects the league with a 112. passer ranking and is sixth with 21 touchdowns.
Miami has the NFL’s second-most effective passing offense and fourth total offense.
Tagovailoa explained the Dolphins’ offensive struggles versus San Francisco confirmed what the group even now requires to boost.
“There’s locations of perform that you believed maybe you had down that, ‘Hey, truth verify. This is what the deal is,'” explained Tagovailoa, who has gained 15 of his previous 18 starts. “So it was very good for all of us offensively to see the problems, to speak about the errors.”
Herbert is fourth in the league with 3,339 passing yards and tied for seventh with 20 landing passes. For most of the period, Herbert and the offense had been capable to make even with his early-time rib damage and receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams staying jointly on the industry for five quarters. But more than the past four months, a subpar operating game and injuries to the offensive line have taken a toll.
Herbert has been sacked 16 periods in the previous 4 game titles right after going down 10 moments in the initially 8.
“We’re just attempting to transfer the ball as a lot as we can, transform on 3rd down, restrict turnovers, and force the ball downfield. Get the run match involved and just do the items that we know that we can do,” Herbert mentioned.
Tagovailoa and the Dolphins beat the Chargers 29-21 in Week 10 of the 2020 period. Herbert was held to a career-lower 187 yards in that video game.
MATCHUP TO View
Miami receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle could have major game titles in opposition to a Chargers defense that is inclined to letting massive plays.
Las Vegas’ Davante Adams torched LA’s secondary past week with eight receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns. The very last time the Chargers played on Sunday evening, Kansas Town tight close Travis Kelce experienced 6 catches for 114 yards and 3 TDs.
The Chargers have authorized a league-superior 13 touchdowns of 20 yards or extra, including 3 final week. Opponents have 54 performs of at minimum 20 yards, which is tied for fifth most. Los Angeles could also be quick-handed in the secondary with safety Derwin James (quadriceps) and cornerback Bryce Callahan (groin) questionable.
Hill – who has two 100-property online games in 11 occupation online games against the Chargers – leads the league in obtaining yards (1,379) and receptions of at least 20 yards (22). He also desires 11 yards to crack Mark Clayton’s franchise mark for a single period, which has stood for 38 several years.
Waddle is fifth in the league with 972 receiving yards and has 16 receptions of 20 yards or more.
GROUNDED
Each groups have struggled in hoping to set up a managing recreation. The Chargers’ 84.7 yards for each game on the ground is the next-cheapest in the league, although the Dolphins have the fifth-most affordable typical at 89.7.
According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the Dolphins have been held to no achieve or unfavorable yards on 23.1% of their dashing attempts, the sixth-best charge in the league. The Chargers are seventh at 22.9%.
NO Place LIKE Home
Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who is from Redlands, California, estimated he will have about 91 family and good friends at Sunday’s match. Phillips played two seasons at UCLA prior to transferring to the College of Miami.
“This total town is serious nostalgic for me,” Phillips stated. “It has a specific place in my coronary heart. Naturally it did not function out with soccer, but there is certainly no poor blood at all, male. I’m just grateful to be again here soaking in each individual moment.”
In his 2nd NFL season, Phillips has emerged as one particular of Miami’s greatest edge rushers with five sacks.
FLEXING
The league flexed Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Town Chiefs out of the Sunday night time location in favor of this matchup. Even the drama encompassing Russell Wilson and the Broncos was not more than enough to continue to keep low-scoring Denver under the lights.
Previous yr, the NFL flexed a Chiefs game into the primary-time location in Week 13 and bypassed a Chargers-Bengals matchup that would have highlighted Herbert and Joe Burrow.
It is very likely this is not going to be the closing routine transform involving Miami and Los Angeles. On Jan. 1, the Chargers and Rams are slated for the Sunday night time match, but that is likely to be moved. One particular of the candidates to change it is Miami at New England.
