Bolt Beat Staff Picks for Week 2 vs. Dolphins

A furious fourth-quarter fight wasn’t enough for the Los Angeles Chargers to avoid dropping the season opener against the Denver Broncos. But there’s no time to lament the loss, Week 2 is upon us.

And with that, the Miami Dolphins will be invading L.A. to be the first ever regular season opponent for the Chargers at the StubHub Center. The Chargers will be playing on a short week after the late Monday night game while the Dolphins had a bye week due to the effects of Hurricane Irma.

Starting 0-2 would be disastrous for this Chargers team, especially with a tough Kansas City Chiefs team on the schedule next. It might be too early to deem this game a must-win, but the Chargers need it.

Last week, we were all on the Chargers with our staff picks. Well, all but one of us. Will that change this week? Here are the picks from each one of our writers. The record in parenthesis is that writer’s win-loss record for the season in making picks.

Anthony Totri (0-1)- Follow @Anthony_Totri:“With Jay Cutler manning the Dolphins offense I’ll take the Chargers in a blowout. The Bolts should be able to dominate on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Keenan Allen should be able to have a breakout game against a weak secondary, and Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa have the potential to completely dominate the line of scrimmage. Chargers get a win at the StubHub Center 38-14.” 

Mike Murray (0-1): “It’s hard to pick this one, since we have no data from last week for the Dolphins. Last year’s stats for the Dolphins are not good, other than a 9th ranked run offense. However the Dolphins won 10 games, but had an easy schedule. So lets throw stats out the window and say the Chargers come out fired up for a home opener and win 35 to 20.”

Tyler Schoon (0-1)- Follow @tjscooter30:“The Miami Dolphins can be beat, and they will be this Sunday. Barring a fourth quarter collapse from Philip Rivers, the Chargers should come away with a win facing a team without their franchise quarterback. Not having to face the Broncos’ defense this week should help too. Chargers 30, Dolphins 20.”

Alexander Insdorf (0-1)- Follow @alexlancedorf: “For me, this game is all about if you believe in the Jay Cutler/Adam Gase dynamic. It’s true that Cutler had his best statistical season with Gase. It’s also true that the offense of the Bears in that season was ranked 23rd in the NFL in PPG and just 21st in YPG. Does all the blame fall on Cutler and Gase here? No. But I believe that an offense based around the idea that Cutler cannot throw deep in risk of turning the ball over plays too conservatively. As for the Chargers I think they play better in Week 2 against a defense certainly isn’t as fearsome as the Broncos. Being that this is the Dolphins’ first game out and they have yet to play a real game, I think it will take a while to figure out how Jay works with the offense since he came over so late. I think the Chargers’ offense will be a little more dynamic this week with a better mix of running and passing, as well as the return of Dontrelle Inman aiding the team.”

CHARGERS 31-DOLPHINS 20

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Scott Iger (0-1): “Despite an amazing comeback, the Chargers experienced their first tough loss of the season Monday night in Denver. The Chargers’ offense and defense seemed to begin to gel by the end of the fourth quarter, allowing the Bolts to make the comeback. Although Miami was a playoff team, this game will be the Chargers’ home opener and Jay Cutler’s debut with the Dolphins, and that should give the Chargers a slight advantage. I think the Chargers’ defense stands tall against Jay Cutler, allowing the Bolts to cruise to a comfortable win, 28-14.”

Kade Dohmen (0-1)- Follow @thekd21: “Dolphins have the benefit of having film to work off of and extra time to prepare. The Chargers have already gotten rid of the first-game jitters and I think coach Lynn will know what it takes to win this game. Chargers kick off StubHub Center with their first win of the year. Chargers 35, Dolphins 20.”