DOWN X DOWN › week 16 › Chargers at Dolphins
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026

Week 16 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Hard Rock Stadium

MIAvsLAC

Dolphins offensevsChargers defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Dolphins, 7 for Chargers. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Run it at them

Dolphins' run game is 20th in EPA per carry (-0.12). Chargers allow -0.06 (23rd).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Chargers are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.21 EPA per attempt. Dolphins send 8% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Tight ends go quiet

Chargers give up 6.0 targets a game to tight ends (3rd), against a league average of 7.6. Dolphins' tight ends produce 5.1 (30th).

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Dolphins gain 5.1 yards per play (22nd). Chargers give up 5.6 (20th), with the league at 5.4.

Players to watch

The series · Chargers and Dolphins since 1999, and this season's records18 meetings

The Dolphins lead the series 12–6 since 1999. Oct 12, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium: the Chargers won 29–27. Tua Tagovailoa started at quarterback for the Dolphins and Justin Herbert for the Chargers; Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh coached.

Chargers at home4–5the Chargers' record
In Miami2–6the Chargers' record
Most pointsChargers 34 · Dolphins 372023 · 2014
Biggest winChargers by 20 · Dolphins by 372019 · 2014

The last 5

2025 · Wk 6LAC 29 at MIA 27
2023 · Wk 1MIA 36 at LAC 34
2022 · Wk 14MIA 17 at LAC 23
2020 · Wk 10LAC 21 at MIA 29
2019 · Wk 4LAC 30 at MIA 10

2026 records

ChargersDolphins
Overall0–71–6
Division0–31–1
Conference0–41–4
Other conference0–30–2
Home0–30–3
Away0–41–3
Last 5LLLLLLLLWL
StreakLost 7Lost 1
Points a game14.1 – 25.016.7 – 25.9

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Chargers' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Dolphins offense against the Chargers defenseDepth charts
Chargers defense · 3-4 DDolphins offense · 3WR 1TE52Paul74Proctor55Brewer71Savaiinaea73Jackson85Dulcich2Willis0Gordon6Washington18Bell7Douglas92Eboigbe99Caldwell93Tart45Tuipulotu52Mack53Phillips0Henley26Jackson20Hart4Still23Jefferson2Molden

Dolphins offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBMalik Willis#2 · 108/183 · 1268 yds · 6 TD · 5 INT
  • RBOllie Gordon II#0 · 91 car · 408 yds · 4 TD · 6 rec
  • WRMalik Washington#6 · 31 rec · 329 yds · 1 TD · 45 tgt
  • WRCaleb Douglas#7 · 13 rec · 226 yds · 2 TD · 19 tgt
  • WRChris Bell#18 · 12 rec · 148 yds · 0 TD · 24 tgt
  • TEGreg Dulcich#85 · 22 rec · 256 yds · 0 TD · 28 tgt
  • LTPatrick Paul#52
  • LGKadyn Proctor#74
  • CAaron Brewer#55
  • RGJonah Savaiinaea#71
  • RTAustin Jackson#73

Chargers defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEJustin Eboigbe#92 · 24 tackles · 0.5 sacks
  • NTJamaree Caldwell#99 · 13 tackles
  • LDETeair Tart#93 · 15 tackles
  • WLBTuli Tuipulotu#45 · 29 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 3 PD
  • SLBKhalil Mack#52 · 21 tackles · 3 sacks
  • RILBDel'Shawn Phillips#53 · 36 tackles
  • LILBDaiyan Henley#0 · 39 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • RCBDonte Jackson#26 · 7 tackles · 2 PD
  • LCBCam Hart#20 · 28 tackles · 2 INT · 6 PD
  • NBTarheeb Still#4 · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 4 PD
  • SSTony Jefferson#23 · 31 tackles · 2 PD
  • FSElijah Molden#2 · 24 tackles

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · MIA offense against LAC defense
StatMIA MIA offFavors MIA · Favors LACLAC LAC def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.05#24
-0.04#9+0.00
Success rate
40%#28
44%#1944%
Yards per play
5.1#22
5.6#205.4
Explosive play rate
11%#6
10%#179%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.09#25
-0.02#10+0.03
Sack rate
10%#31
6%#237%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.12#20
-0.06#23-0.08
Yards per carry
3.9#19
4.3#214.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
44%#8
31%#341%
Red zone TD rate
59%#17
52%#1061%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
130#22
133#12147
TE yards per game
40#24
52#1555
TE targets per game
5.1#30
6.0#37.6
RB receiving yards per game
12#32
22#732
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Dolphins: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.198% of throws
-0.057% of throws
+0.749% of throws
Short
+0.1627% of throws
+0.1113% of throws
-0.0736% of throws

Chargers: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.2111 throws
3too few
+1.197 throws
Short
+0.1060 throws
-0.0942 throws
+0.0073 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.