‘Sunday Night Football’ open thread: Dolphins at Chargers

Two young quarterbacks from the 2020 draft face off on Sunday night.

Forever tied at the hip by their draft position, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert face off for a second time. The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers each boast a stellar young quarterback at the helm, two decisions from the 2020 NFL Draft that have paid dividends. When the two teams last met, their quarterbacks were rookies, with Miami pulling off the victory. Will that be the case again on “Sunday Night Football”?

Tagovailoa was chosen with the fifth-overall selection in the draft, and it was a rocky first few years with Miami. The flashes were there, but the poor decisions and injuries loomed large for Tagovailoa. 2022 has had some injury concerns for the young quarterback, but his play on the field has massively improved. The addition of Tyreek Hill certainly helps, as he and Jaylen Waddle have formed a dominant duo. The Dolphins have been hot of late, though a loss last week to the San Francisco 49ers ended their five-game win streak. Due to the dangerous Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins might have to secure a Wild Card spot instead of the AFC East crown.

Chosen one spot after Tagovailoa, Herbert was perhaps seen as the consolation prize for the Chargers. Yet unlike Tagovailoa, Herbert came out of the gate firing, putting together one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in history. His 2021 season was just as good, and his 2022 is nothing to scoff at. The Chargers sit at 6-6, as injuries continue to haunt the franchise. The bright side is that Austin Ekeler is a dynamic pass catching back, while Josh Palmer has stepped up as Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have battled injuries. The Chargers have plenty of weapons on offense, can they turn that into some victories as the playoffs approach?

Here is how to watch tonight’s game:

Date: Sunday, December 11, 2022
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium—Arlington, TX
TV: NBC
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, and Melissa Stark
Online: NBCSports.com