Los Angeles Chargers: 3 Takeaways vs. Dolphins in Week 2
By Derek Snyder
3. As expected, Miami dominated both lines of scrimmage
If you’re a Chargers fan looking for something major to blame this Week 2 loss on, then look no further than the line of scrimmage. We knew that Miami was legitimately better than Los Angeles on both the offensive and defensive lines of scrimmage heading into this weekend, but no one thought it would be this much one-sided.
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The Chargers rushed for 44 yards on only 14 carries against the Dolphins Sunday afternoon. Heck, Melvin Gordon wasn’t even the team’s leading rusher, it was Branden Oliver, whose 26-yard run surpassed Gordon’s 14 total rushing yards on nine carries.
Honestly, I’m more disappointed that Ken Whisenhunt abandoned the running game more than anything else. This Los Angeles offensive line needed to impose their will on Sunday, but instead, the ‘Fins did whatever they wanted to on the defensive-line.
On the other side of the football, the Dolphins dominated as well. We talked about the importance of containing Jay Ajayi before this match-up, but Los Angeles simply couldn’t bring him down, as he rushed for 122 yards on 28 carries.
While it may seem simple, this Chargers team just can’t seem to get any push on either sides of the line. If they can’t become more physically imposing up-front, they may not win more than seven or eight games in 2017.