Film Study: Chargers/Dolphins 2022 matchup

Kyle De revisits the Week 14 showdown to explore what to watch for in the Staley/McDaniel grudge match

If the 2022 season had ended with a little more excitement, perhaps a playoff win or two, I know where I could have planted my finger and declared “THIS was the turning point in the season.”

It was when a depleted Chargers roster faced off against a hot Dolphins team with an offensive guru for a head coach, and that head coach tried to open up the game by exploiting a reserve player filling in for the injured All-Pro Derwin James Jr. Tyreek Hill went in motion, and released into a wheel route into Alohi Gilman’s zone. Alohi knew what to look for when Tyreek went in motion, and he played it absolutely perfectly.

The Chargers fought with tenacity all game, and came out with a scrappy win. Both Alohi Gilman and Ja’Sir Taylor had statement games that bought them more opportunities, and gave Brandon Staley the confidence to move into 2023 with Alohi as his starter alongside James.

Some fans believed that Brandon Staley had simplified his system since Derwin James was out, and after reviewing film, I believe that statement is categorically false. Below, I’ll break down why, and what I’m going to be on the lookout for in this Sunday’s matchup.

I hope you all enjoy this video format… next time I’ll try to do a better job of going full screen!

*Please let me know in the comments if you have trouble viewing on Apple News. If so, you should be able to follow this link to watch.

Let’s get a discussion going below – what are your areas of concern and areas of opportunity for the Chargers heading into this matchup?