It does not take a rocket scientist to determine that the largest motive the NFL selected the Miami Dolphins-L.A. Chargers to flex into its Sunday evening slot in Week 14 is the matchup between quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert.

The 2 perpetually might be linked as a result of they have been taken one decide aside close to the highest of the 2020 NFL draft, so anytime they’re on the identical discipline, it is a massive story — and that additionally consists of 2020 first total decide Joe Burrow.

And since Tua and Herbert might be on the identical discipline Sunday, it once more does not take a rocket scientist to grasp the speaking heads can have a discipline day this week debating who of the 2 is the higher quarterback.

It is a loaded query with no definitive reply not like, say, 2 plus 2 equals 4 (until new math has decided a special sum). It is a matter of non-public desire, and we’re guessing the ESPN speaking head cut up might be near someplace down the center.

Who is aware of the place NFL execs previous and present would fall, although it ought to be famous that award-winning columnist Dave Hyde of the South Florida Solar-Sentinel surveyed former Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson and former Dolphins GM Randy Mueller together with three present NFL execs, and all 5 of them picked Herbert — including all of them like Tua.

That opinion clearly will not play properly with a phase of Dolphins followers (you already know who you’re).

Let’s simply agree that it is completely cheap to select Herbert on this debate.

That mentioned, it is simple that Tua is the one having the higher statistical season and he is the one of many two who’s within the NFL MVP dialog.

What is also simple — or at the least ought to be — is that if we take away quarterbacks from the equation, the Dolphins are also a clearly higher group proper now.

And that in the end is what ought to make the distinction within the recreation at SoFi Stadium on Sunday evening, identical to it is the explanation the Dolphins will enter the sport as street favorites.

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DOLPHINS IN BETTER SHAPE THAN THE CHARGERS

The Dolphins are positioned to win — and probably win massive — in 2022 and it completely entails Tua, however it additionally entails the offensive inventive genius of Mike McDaniel, the absurd (and unprecedented) outdoors pace at large receiver with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, a much-improved offensive line after the addition of Terron Armstead, and a protection that options former Professional Bowl gamers like Melvin Ingram, Bradley Chubb and Xavien Howard.

The Chargers, alternatively, are struggling to remain alive within the AFC playoff race with an offensive line that is been with out its beginning left sort out Rashawn Slater for a lot of the season, identical as each beginning large receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, high-priced free agent cornerback J.C. Jackson and defensive finish Joey Bosa, who’s merely the most effective defensive participant on the group.

To be truthful, the Dolphins even have had harm points, totally on protection, although not of this magnitude.

By all of this, Herbert has performed his greatest, had some good moments and a few not-so-good ones. He is additionally performed it most of the time whereas having cross rushers draped throughout him.

The absence of Armstead was talked about as one think about Tua and the Dolphins passing recreation being off towards the 49ers, and possibly there’s some benefit to that. However then let’s take into account that Tua was sacked thrice (all by Nick Bosa) and took 5 QB hits, per the official gamebook. Within the Chargers’ 27-20 loss towards Las Vegas, Herbert was sacked 5 occasions and took 14 QB hits.

In order we glance to this matchup Sunday evening, it goes means past Tua vs. Herbert.

The Dolphins clearly have the higher receiving corps with Hill and Waddle, notably with Williams a query mark as he continues to take care of a excessive ankle sprain and Allen only in the near past again from his hamstring harm.

The Dolphins even have the higher operating recreation, despite the fact that they have not actually centered on it. Miami’s common of 4.0 yards per carry is just twenty seventh within the NFL, however nonetheless higher than the Chargers’ Thirtieth-ranked common of three.74.

In relation to stopping the run, the Dolphins aren’t simply higher than the Chargers, they are much higher — they’re twelfth in common yards allowed per try at 4.36, whereas the Chargers are lifeless final at an traditionally unhealthy 5.43.

Total, the Dolphins rank seventeenth within the NFL in whole protection, whereas the Chargers are twenty sixth.

It is a far cry from the protection the Dolphins noticed final Sunday after they confronted the league’s top-ranked unit in San Francisco.

THE TUA-HERBERT MATCHUP

There’s an opportunity Armstead might be again within the lineup for the Chargers recreation, however even when he is not, it is truthful to count on Tua to rebound and have the kind of efficiency he is had for a lot of the season.

What Herbert can do towards the Dolphins protection stays to be seen, although Miami did shut down the Chargers offense within the first Tua-Herbert assembly in 2020, and that was a significantly better L.A. offense on the time.

The Dolphins completed 10-6 in that 2020 season thanks largely to a protection that led the league in third-down conversion share and was third in interception price, whereas the Chargers completed 7-9 in Anthony Lynn’s remaining season because the group’s head coach.

Every group completed 9-8 and missed the playoffs in 2021, although the Chargers got here a bit nearer, getting eradicated within the final recreation of the common with an extra time loss towards the Raiders.

Herbert was chosen to the Professional Bowl final season and the Chargers clearly had a extra useful offense than the Dolphins, although the Miami protection clearly was superior and the Dolphins additionally received six touchdowns on returns.

This season, the Dolphins have the higher offense and the higher protection, so that they’ll go into this recreation towards the Chargers with a determined benefit — no matter the place you stand on the good Tua-Herbert debate.

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