Dolphins at Chargers final score and immediate reactions to Miami win

The Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers faced off in a Week 10 contest on Sunday. The first half of the game was very defensive focused, though the Chargers eventually got hot passing the ball and Miami was forced to answer with a long pass of their own.

In the second half, the game became a back-and-forth battle, with turnovers, penalties, and touchdowns all over the place. There were interceptions. There were muffed punts. There were holding penalties. And hold penalties. And holding penalties.

Each week, during the Dolphins’ game, we keep a running log of thoughts and reactions during the game. At the end of the contest, we sum up the results with an Immediate Reactions section. Below, you will find everything broken into the final score, the first half, second half, and immediate reactions.

Final Score

Dolphins 31 - Chargers 24

First Half Thoughts

• Chargers win the toss and will receive
• Good conversion for the Chargers. Not sure how Dontrelle Inman caught that ball just off the top of the grass.
• Melvin Gordon getting stuffed early. Have to keep it up all game, however.
• Dolphins hold on the next third-down.
• Chargers punt. Flag for running into the kicker on Michael Thomas, but not enough for the first down. Dolphins get the ball at their own 10-yard line.
• Dion Sims back in the starting lineup.
• Dolphins offensve looking good early.
• Ryan Tannehill 4-for-4 for 42 yards finding MarQueis Gray and DeVante Parker so far.
• Jay Ajayi 5 carries for 13 yards.
• Sack. Branden Albert gets beat and Tannehill is hit from the blindside. Forced fumble by Melvin Ingram, but Miami recovers. Time to punt.
• Perfect play by Walt Aikens, who catches the ball of a beautiful bounce from Matt Darr’s punt and downs the ball at the 3-yard line.
• Encroachment by Jordan Phillips gives the Chargers a little breathing room.
• Dolphins defense still stuffs the Chargers offense and forces the three-and-out. Getting help from dropped passes at this point.
• Jakeem Grant muffs the punt, but manages to drag the ball back in to keep it Miami ball.
• Three-and-out for Miami after two run attempts then Tannehill sails a ball over the head of Kenny Stills. Punt.
• 19-yard run from Gordon. Dolphins could not contain him on that one.
• End of first quarter. 0-0 still.
• Field goal. Chargers, 45-yard. SD 3-0.
• Dolphins go three-and-out after bubble screen to Jarvis Landry loses two yards on first-down, then a three-yard run from Ajayi and an eight yard Tannehill to Landry comes up one yard short.
• Dolphins stuffing Gordon today. Another four-yard loss.
• Kiko Alonso has been playing really well today.
• The Chargers receivers have remembered how to catch the ball. This could be an ugly drive for Miami if they do not find a way to cover better.
• Three straight passes: 15 yards, 12 yards, 16 yards.
• After a Gordon one-yard loss, a 19-yard pass.
• Touchdown. 11-yards Rivers to Gates. SD 10-0.
• Grant nearly breaks the return. A shoestring tackle at the 26-yard line all that stopped him from busting it all the way back.
• Dolphins facing a 3rd-and-7. Need this conversion to just give the defense a rest at this point.
• Flag! Offsides on the defense. Tannehill converts the free play for a first down with a pass to Stills for eight yards.
• Ajayi gets bottled up for -3 yards. The Chargers are showing why they are a top-ten rush defense.
• Tannehill to Parker for 14 yards.
• Tannehill to Parker for 9 yards. Parker clearly came to play today. Hamstrings must finally be feeling healthy.
• Ajayi loses two more.
• 3rd-and-3. 6-yards Tannehill to Landry.
• TOUCHDOWN! Tannehill to Stills for 39 yards! SD 10-7.

• Branden Albert is headed to the locker room with an apparent hand injury. Not a good thing for the Dolphins’ offensive line. Laremy Tunsil likely kicking out to left tackle if Albert cannot get back.
• Chargers moving the ball again. Rivers to Gordon for 11, incomplete to Gates, Rivers to Gates for 19 yards.
• Two-minute warning.
• Rivers to Gates for 14 yards. This Gates guy is pretty good.
• Gordon picks up three.
• Incomplete pass. Should have been an intentional grounding, but somehow Gates was deemed “in the vicinity.”
• SACK! Cameron Wake and Mario Williams combine to bring down Rivers. Punt coming.
• Ajayi picks up one yard and Miami lets the clock run out.
• Halftime. SD 10-7.

Second Half.

• Miami gets the ball to start the second half.
• Albert is officially doubtful to return. Tunsil is now at left tackle and Kraig Urbik at left guard.
• AJAYI! J-Train on 2nd-and-5 goes for 40 yards right behind Tunsil at left tackle.
• Ajay for three yards.
• Tannehill to Landry for 25 yards. Beautiful roll out by Tannehill who leads Landry across the field for a 1st-and-Goal at the two.
• TOUCHDOWN! Damien Williams from 2-yards out! MIA 14-10.
• Sack! Cameron Wake! Andre Branch was in there too, so it may officially be a half-sack.
• 3rd-and-9. Neutral zone infraction on Ndamukong Suh. Damn.
• 3rd-and-4. 12 yards Rivers to Tyrell Williams. Damn.
• 3rd-and-10. Dolphins again forcing a conversion.....and the Chargers do it with a 21-yard pass from Rivers to Williams. Damn.
• Gordon 18 yards. Damn.
• Rivers looks in the endzone for Inman. Pass interference on Bobby McCain. Damn.
• That DPI was not a bad penalty on McCain, however. He tripped (fault him for that), so he made sure to not give up the touchdown.
• Gordon for 1.
• Gordon with the 6-yard loss thanks to Earl Mitchell just blowing up the play. Mitchell is playing for the first time since injuring his calf in Week 1 and spending the next eight weeks on Injured Reserve.
• Touchdown. Rivers to Hunter Henry for 7-yards. SD 17-14.
• Ajayi! 21 yards off left tackle behind Tunsil (again).
• Landry caught a three-yard pass, ran back two yards behind the line of scrimmage, turned all the way around his defender, and somehow picked up a first down.
• Tannehill to Landry for 11 yards.
• Tannehill for -1 yards on a broken play. Looked like it was supposed to be a handoff, but something did not work, so Tannehill just tried to run it.
• Tannehill shakes off a sack, rolls right, then runs for 18 yards on 3rd-and-11.

• Ajayi for 7 yards.
• Ajayi for 1 yard.
• TOUCHDOWN!!!!!! Tannehill to Damien Williams for 18 yards on 3rd-and-2. MIA 21-17.

• 3rd-and-9. Cameron Wake called for neutral zone infraction. Was actually offsides twice.
• SACK! Wake and Andre Branch converge on Rivers.
• Just kidding. Bobby McCain defensive holding.
• End of 3rd quarter.
• Loss of two on pass from Rivers to Inman.
• False Start. Now 3rd-and-14.
• Rivers to Griff Whalen for 10 yards. Punt coming.
• DAMN!!!! Grant muffs another punt (plus a fumble on a kickoff) and the Chargers finally recover one. First turnover by the Dolphins since Week 5. And now Chargers have first-and-goal at the Miami five.
• 3rd-and-Goal. Miami stops them! Just kidding. Byron Maxwell holding.
• Pick! Tony Lippett with the interception in the endzone! Saves the day for the Dolphins.

• 3-and-out. 59 yard punt from Matt Darr! Plus a hold backing them up 10 more yards. Great flip of the field. Darr might be a machine.
• Penalty on Lippett. Holding. Penalties could kill the Dolphins in this game.
• Sack! Branch and Suh!
• Rivers to Williams for 25 yards.
• Rivers to Gordon for 4 yards.
• Rivers to Inman for 13 yards.
• Rivers to Inman for 14 yards. Rivers is just picking apart the Dolphins secondary right now.
• Nevermind. Rivers to Byron Maxwell for the PICK!!!!!!!!!!!
• Ajayi for -9 yards. That was just ugly.
• 3rd-and-18. Tannehill rolls out and somehow finds DeVante Parker for the first down. Holding. Ja’Wuan James. Bringing it back.
• Kenyan Drake picks up 9-yards. And, after a declined holding penalty, Miami is punting.
• 21-yard return on the 47 yard punt. Chargers starting at their own 42.
• Incomplete pass. Gordon for 2 yards. Holding. That seems about the standard Chargers possession now.
• Touchdown. Rivers to Williams for 51 yards. SD 24-21.
• The Dolphins offense has to step up now. A field goal to tie, a touchdown can win.
• What a throw! 56-yards Tannehill to Parker. Tannehill stepped up and took a nasty hit to the head as he delivers the ball out deep for Parker. Add the 15-yards for the hit and it’s Miami 1st-and-Goal at the Chargers’ 10-yard line.
• Ajayi for 1.
• Incomplete
• Incomplete. Where is the flag on this play? Parker was clearly held as he tried to make the play, but suddenly the refs cannot see something? Horrible miss.

• Field Goal. Dolphins 27 yards. Tie 24-24.
• Gordon for 13.
• Gordon no gain.
• Rivers to Gordon for 20. At Miami 42 yard line. Nearing field goal range.
• TOUCHDOWN!!!!!! KIKO ALONSO PICK SIX!!!! MIAMI 31-24!!!!!
• PICK! Lippett with pick number two for him and four for the team! Ball game!!!

Immediate Reactions

What an incredibly stressful, fun game. The first half was all about the defense, but the second half opened up into a back-and-forth crazy contest. There are a lot of things the Dolphins need to fix, especially the penalties, but the offense showed some spark in the second-half, including multiple deep passes. Tunsil looked good when he had to play left tackle. The secondary was so up and down all game, allowing yardage but then coming up with the pick. Alonso was the steal of the trade with the Eagles.