Chargers vs. Dolphins: Trend continues, Bolts lose another heartbreaker
By Travis Wakeman
The Los Angeles Chargers are now 0-2 and could just as easily be 2-0.
Yes, you’ve heard this before. You’ve heard this before recently, as a matter of fact. The Chargers just can’t seem to figure out how to win the close games. That trend continued on Sunday, as the Miami Dolphins stole a game in the opener at StubHub Center, winning 19-17.
The Chargers seemingly did everything right. Philip Rivers carved up the Miami defense for 331 yards and three players had at least seven receptions. They didn’t run the ball particularly well, but they didn’t need to.
Miami wasn’t spectacular on offense. The Chargers outgained them in terms of total yards, didn’t turn the ball over and forced the Dolphins to kick field goals in the red zone.
So how did they lose this game?
The Chargers just couldn’t execute down the stretch. In a game that once again came down to the foot of rookie kicker Younghoe Koo and just like in Week 1, the kick was no good. This time it wasn’t blocked, it was just an errant kick.
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Koo missed two field goals in the game and is now 1-of-4 on the season. His job security could easily be called into question going forward.
The Chargers drop to 0-2 on the season on a day in which the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs won to go to 2-0 and at the time of this writing, the Denver Broncos held a 25-point lead over the Dallas Cowboys.
Yes, it’s time to hit the panic button.
On a day in which Antonio Gates caught touchdown No. 112, a new league record for a tight end, the Chargers again found away to blow it in the end. The team must now dig deep to find the resolve to salvage something out of this season, before it becomes exactly like the last two.