Dolphins at Chargers Week 2: Highlights, score and recap

The Los Angeles Chargers played their first game inside the StubHub Center on Sunday, as they played host to the Miami Dolphins.

The Los Angeles Chargers hosted the Miami Dolphins in their home opener on Sunday, as they will play their home games inside the StubHub Center. The game was a bore early on, as the team’s could muster only one touchdowns to go along with two field goals in the first half. The Chargers were able to break a 3-3 tie with a Melvin Gordon one-yard touchdown run, but for the most part, the first half was a display of pretty bad offense.

The second half was a different story, as the Dolphins and Chargers exchanged blows throughout. The Dolphins tied the game at ten on a Jay Cutler to Kenny Stills touchdown, Cutler’s first as the Dolphins quarterback. Los Angeles retook the lead on a Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates seven-yard hookup, which made Gates the all-time leader in touchdowns by a tight end (112).

Entering the fourth quarter, the Chargers were up 17-13, though this one was far from over. A Cody Parkey field goal cut the lead to one, and the defenses really stepped up from there. The Chargers led for most of this game, but with a little over a minute left in the game, Parkey blasted a 54-yard field goal, giving the Dolphins a 19-17 lead late.

However, any NFL fan knows that if you have Philip Rivers, you have a chance, and the Chargers drove the length of the field with a minute left. Rivers completed four passes on the drive, bringing the Chargers all the way from their own 20, setting up a field goal to win the game. Rookie Younghoe Koo missed the attempt, giving the Dolphins the victory in Jay Cutler’s debut with the team, 19-17.

It has been a rough start to Koo’s career, as he missed a potential  game-winning, or game-tying field goal for the second straight week.

Highlights

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Three Stars

1. Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

Landry had a huge game for the Dolphins in this one, catching 13 balls for nearly 80 yards. He was the No. 1 target for Jay Cutler all game long, and came up with some huge catches throughout. The Dolphins were able to escape with a huge road win in this one, and Landry once again put his stamp on the game.

2. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are going through the same thing they did last season, as they lost another close game late. Younghoe Koo missed a big field goal for the second straight week, but he would not have had the chance if not for Rivers. The veteran completed 31-of-39 passes in the game, throwing for over 300 yards, while orchestrating that last drive that should have been the game-winner.

3. Jay Cutler, Miami Dolphins

Expected to be a broadcaster for the 2017 NFL season, Jay Cutler is instead a first-time winner for the Miami Dolphins. Cutler played with poise all afternoon, even in the face of a pretty tough Los Angeles pass rush. The main thing he did on Sunday was not turn the ball over, and with a playoff-ready roster, all he needs to do is protect the ball for this team to get back to the postseason.

Betting Odds

The Chargers were a home favorite in this one, giving up three points to the Dolphins. However, they failed to win the game outright, so the Dolphins were the play in this one. The over/under was set at 45.5, and these two offenses sputtered all afternoon, not coming close to that mark. All odds can be found at SportsBook Review throughout the week.

Next: NFL Week 2: Picks and predictions

Next Week

The Los Angeles Chargers will stay home in Week 3, as they welcome division rival Kansas City to the StubHub Center. The Dolphins will continue to play away from South Beach, heading East to take on the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey in Week 3.