It isn’t every day that a team like the Miami Dolphins comes around. It’s actually not even every year — this Dolphins team is doing something unprecedented in their efforts to hit the reset button. But in doing so, they’ve put themselves at a steep disadvantage for what is left of the 2019 NFL season — all 13 games of it.
Miami’s schedule to this point has been very unforgiving and at first look, the Los Angeles Chargers coming to town this week looks to be more of the same. Especially when you factor in the return of running back Melvin Gordon, who sat out the team’s first three games in protest — he’s looking for a new contract. But that holdout is behind him and the Chargers are welcoming Gordon back into the fray.
Terrible news for Miami, right? Well, if you’re still holding out hope for Dolphins wins this season, not exactly. The rest of the Chargers’ roster is littered with talented players who won’t dress for Los Angeles when they take the field tomorrow against the Dolphins. The Chargers, who are desperate for a win at 1-2, will be missing an extensive portion of their roster.
Mind you, the Chargers are also missing starting TE Hunter Henry, OT Russell Okung and both starting safeties, Adrian Phillips and Derwin James. It’s not a stretch to suggest the Chargers are nearly missing half their starters. Is that enough to narrow the divide between the Chargers and the Dolphins?
Expect a heavy does of RBs Gordon and Ekeler this weekend in South Florida. The Chargers will look to bully the Dolphins up front — but even then, their offensive line doesn’t have the same push as Dallas and New England. This one could, at the very least, get interesting.
