3 Bold Predictions for Dolphins Week 5 Game vs. Chargers

Making bold predictions about the 2025 Miami Dolphins isn’t getting any easier. The team is sitting at 1-4 and will play the 3-2 Los Angeles Chargers at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. 

Despite our struggles to find some bold predictions, we’re powering through for another week. Hopefully, we stay away from the reverse jinx like we did last week with our prediction about the Panthers’ rushing attack. 

Dolphins Get 4+ Sacks 

The Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive line is pretty banged up. The team lost starting left tackle Rashawn Slater before the season, and new left tackle Joe Alt, as well as guard Meckhi Becton, have dealt with injuries. Offensive tackle Trey Pipkins was also on the injury report this week. 

Pipkins and Alt were ruled out on Friday, so the Chargers will be down multiple starters up front. Protecting Justin Herbert has been a problem this season, and missing those two tackles won't make things easier. 

LA ranks 23rd in sack percentage and is ninth in pressures allowed. The Giants got into the backfield a ton against the Chargers two weeks ago. That should be the Dolphins' game plan, who, like the Giants, are punching above their weight class. 

Miami hasn’t recorded more than three sacks in a game this season, but it feels like it's starting to figure some things out. It had three sacks against the Panthers and has recorded at least 14 pressures the last two weeks, after posting less than 10 in the first three games. 

Look for Jaelan Phillips to get another sack and for linebacker Jordyn Brooks to get involved as a blitzer. 

De’Von Achane Has 100+ Scrimmage Yards 

This might feel like a modest prediction, but have you looked at how many total yards Achane has this season? He’s only gone over this number twice and is coming off a game in which he had 46 yards from scrimmage. 

The Chargers are allowing 121 rushing yards per game this season, and they’re defensive structure does leave them open to the running game. 

Los Angeles plays a lot of light boxes and relies on its defensive linemen to two-gap upfront. It’ll allow teams to run the ball a bit, if they commit to it. That hasn’t been Miami’s strength under McDaniel, but Achane also poses a threat in the receiving game. 

Teams will need to game plan for Jaylen Waddle and Darren Waller, which could leave Achane to eat up some easy yards in the short area of the field against linebackers and safeties. 

The Chargers have talented players at those positions, but McDaniel has done an excellent job getting Achane 1-on-1 matchups in space. As good as Derwin James and Daiyan Henley are, that’s still a tough draw for them. 

It’s hard to attack Los Angeles’ defense in the passing game for four quarters. Achane’s ability to win on manufactured touches and the traditional running game should make him a good option this week. 

Miami’s Run Defense Holds LA to Less Than 100 Yards 

OK, I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I’m aware I made a similar prediction last week, and it did not go well at all. 

However, I don’t know that there’s a bolder prediction I could make, given the state of Miami’s rush defense. There are some reasons to believe it won’t get completely run over this week. 

The aforementioned offensive line injuries are one, and the Chargers are also dealing with injuries at running back. Omarion Hampton is on injured reserve, and the team lost Najee Harris for the season already. 

The Dolphins will get some combination of Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal on Sunday. They have 13 and 18 rushing yards this season, respectively. The Chargers average the 14th-most rushing yards per game, so they’re not exactly world beaters when everyone is healthy. 

The Dolphins have the bodies to hold their own up front, but they just haven’t quite figured out how to play as a cohesive unit. 

There’s no better opportunity to figure it out than against a team with multiple backup offensive linemen and a third-string running back.