As the Los Angeles Chargers walk into Miami this week with a 3-2 record to face the Dolphins, a number of facets of their game will need to improve if they want to come out a win, even against a struggling Miami team.
Yet, their acquisition this past week of outside linebacker Odafe Oweh from the Baltimore Ravens, paired with the enhanced play of Tuli Tuipulotu over the past couple of weeks, could cause serious problems for the Dolphins as they attempt to work around the pressure that Los Angeles will be able to bring.
So far this season, Miami's offensive line has struggled to protect Tua Tagovailoa, and Taigovailoa has struggled heavily when pressure has gotten through his line. Therefore, if the Chargers can capitalize upon this fact with a rejuvenated pass rush, they could be in line for a major bounce-back victory in Week 6.
Odafe Oweh and Tuli Tuipulotu could give the Dolphins fits in Week 6
Although their star pass rusher Khalil Mack has now missed multiple weeks with an elbow injury, Los Angeles's pass rusher depth has held relatively strong so far this season, with the team recording 14 sacks through its first five games.
While Tuipulotu has been, at times, quiet throughout this span, his four sack game against the New York Giants in Week 5 served as a stunning culmination of the pressures and disruptions he has been forcing rather consistently over the past two seasons.
Now, with the Chargers' acquisition of Oweh in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman and a fifth-round pick, they have added a second viable pass rusher who can work in and provide some explosiveness ahead of rotational players such as Bud Dupree and Caleb Murphy.
While Oweh has yet to record a sack this year, the entire Ravens' defensive front has struggled, and this trade should be viewed more as a shakeup for Baltimore's defense than it is a reflection of Oweh's potential as a pass rusher.
Moreover, the Dolphins have struggled against teams with viable pass rushes, having allowed 11 sacks on the season and forced Tagovailoa to face pressure on 25.3% of his dropbacks this season.
Tagovailoa, meanwhile, has a 46.7 offensive grade when under pressure this season according to PFF, meaning that, if the Chargers are able to get after the quarterback and return their pass rush to form in Week 6, they could be able to limit an already struggling offense.
With Omarion Hampton out and the offensive line heavily hobbled, this could be the key to a major victory for Los Angeles.