Chargers at Dolphins: Week 16 preview, odds and injuries

Week 16 · Sun, Dec 27 · Hard Rock Stadium1 PM ET

at1 PMET · Fox

At a glanceUpdated Nov 11, 2026, 1:05 AM ET

The Los Angeles Chargers (0-8) visit the Miami Dolphins (1-7) on Sun, Dec 27, 1 PM ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL (Week 16, 2026 season), on Fox.

When and where is Chargers vs Dolphins?

Sun, Dec 27, 1 PM ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. TV: Fox.

Who is injured for Chargers vs Dolphins?

Chargers: Brenen Thompson (WR, questionable, quadriceps), Deane Leonard (CB, questionable, concussion), Isas Waxter (CB, questionable, ankle), Justin Eboigbe (DT, questionable, ankle), Justin Herbert (QB, questionable, finger) and Kayode Awosika (G, questionable, lower leg) (plus 2 more). Dolphins: Jaylen Wright (RB, questionable, quadriceps) and Will Kacmarek (TE, questionable, quadriceps).

Cite this page

Pigskin Nightly, “Chargers at Dolphins: Week 16 preview”, https://pigskinnightly.com/games/2026-12-27-lac-at-mia (updated 2026-11-11).

How we calculate Plain-text version Report an error

Regular season through week 15 · rank out of 32

Where this game will be decided

1Dolphins big-play offense vs Chargers defense against big plays
The Dolphins' big-play offense ranks 6th in explosive-play rate (10.3%, 446 plays) against a Chargers defense against big plays ranked 25th (10.1% allowed, 473 plays faced).
6thMIA offense19 spots apart25thLAC defense
2Dolphins red-zone defense vs Chargers red-zone offense
The Dolphins' red-zone defense ranks 16th in red-zone touchdown rate (59% allowed, 32 trips faced) and faces a Chargers red-zone offense ranked 29th (47%, 19 trips).
29thLAC offense13 spots apart16thMIA defenseSmall sample, read with care Why sample size matters

When the Chargers have the ballEdge MIA · +10 ranks

LAC dropback offenseEPA per dropbackMIA pass defense

32nd-0.24296 dropbacks

+0.26 allowed247 dropbacks faced32nd

LAC run gameEPA per rushMIA run defense

32nd-0.25201 rushes

MIA +10

-0.06 allowed207 rushes faced22nd

Dropbacks include sacks and scrambles; rushes are designed runs. What EPA measures.

When the Dolphins have the ballNo big edge

MIA dropback offenseEPA per dropbackLAC pass defense

23rd-0.02257 dropbacks

+0.06 allowed255 dropbacks faced18th

MIA run gameEPA per rushLAC run defense

22nd-0.13189 rushes

-0.06 allowed218 rushes faced20th

Third downNo big edge

LAC third-down offensethird-down conversion rateMIA third-down defense

27th36.0%114 third downs

50.0% allowed94 third downs faced31st

MIA third-down offensethird-down conversion rateLAC third-down defense

11th42.6%101 third downs

35.1% allowed97 third downs faced7th

Conversions are third-down snaps that gained a first down or scored.

Red zoneEdge MIA · +13 ranks

LAC red-zone offensered-zone touchdown rateMIA red-zone defense

29th47%19 trips

MIA +13

59% allowed32 trips faced16th

MIA red-zone offensered-zone touchdown rateLAC red-zone defense

25th50%20 trips

LAC +12

53% allowed32 trips faced13th

A trip is a drive with at least one snap inside the opponent's 20; the rate is trips that ended in an offensive touchdown. Small samples swing fast here.

Explosive playsEdge MIA · +19 ranks

LAC big-play offenseexplosive-play rateMIA defense against big plays

26th7.8%497 plays

9.9% allowed454 plays faced21st

MIA big-play offenseexplosive-play rateLAC defense against big plays

6th10.3%446 plays

MIA +19

10.1% allowed473 plays faced25th

Completions of 20+ yards and runs of 10+, per snap. Definition.

Pressure & sacksNo big edge

LAC pass protectionsack rateMIA pass rush

31st10.5% sacked296 dropbacks

4.9% of dropbacks247 dropbacks faced28th

MIA pass protectionsack rateLAC pass rush

30th9.3% sacked257 dropbacks

5.1% of dropbacks255 dropbacks faced25th

Sacks per dropback. The public play-by-play has no pressure charting, so this is the sack side of it only.

TurnoversEdge LAC · +9 ranks

LAC ball securityturnovers per gameMIA takeaway defense

32nd2.3 giveaways a game8 games

0.9 takeaways a game8 games28th

MIA ball securityturnovers per gameLAC takeaway defense

19th1.3 giveaways a game8 games

LAC +9

1.4 takeaways a game8 games10th

Interceptions and lost fumbles on offensive snaps, per game. Turnover rates are among the least stable numbers in football.

AbsencesLAC 0 · MIA 0 regulars out or doubtful

Chargers8 listed

0 of them are regulars ruled out or doubtful (60%+ of their unit's snaps across 3+ weeks on the field).

QJustin HerbertQB97% offense · 8 wk
QKayode AwosikaG69% offense · 2 wk
QLadd McConkeyWR53% offense · 6 wk
QJustin EboigbeDT47% defense · 8 wk
QDeane LeonardCB32% defense · 4 wk
QIsas WaxterCB26% defense · 4 wk
QBrenen ThompsonWR18% offense · 2 wk
QKendall WilliamsonSno snaps

Dolphins2 listed

0 of them are regulars ruled out or doubtful (60%+ of their unit's snaps across 3+ weeks on the field).

QWill KacmarekTE41% offense · 8 wk
QJaylen WrightRB14% offense · 6 wk

Snap share is the average of the weeks each player was on the field this season. Full injury report ↓

Rest & travelLAC +3 days of rest · LAC travels 2,333 mi

AwayChargers

10days since last game

2,333miles to get here

3time zones

Last: Thu wk 15 vs SF · 9,074 mi flown this season

Long tripBody clock 10:00 a.m.3 time zones

Rest edge+3LAC daysTravel gap 2,333 mi

HomeDolphins

7days since last game

0miles · home

0time zones

Last: Sun wk 15 at GB · Green Bay · 14,622 mi flown this season

Normal week

League splits for these situations ↓

Sample: LAC 8 games, 497 offensive and 473 defensive plays · MIA 8 games, 446 offensive and 454 defensive plays. Rank 1 is the best offense or the best defense in each stat. Keys are the largest rank gaps (12+ spots) between an offense and the defense it faces, one per stat. Ranks are not schedule-adjusted.

Season to date · rank out of 32

Tale of the tape

LACMIA

32nd-0.245Offense EPA / play-0.06424th

32nd-0.243Dropback EPA-0.01723rd

32nd-0.248Rush EPA-0.12722nd

32nd35.0%Offense success rate38.8%29th

30th-10.3%Pass rate over expected-11.1%32nd

17th+0.003Defense EPA allowed+0.11632nd

18th+0.059Pass defense EPA+0.26432nd

20th-0.062Run defense EPA-0.06022nd

20th44.0%Defense success allowed48.7%32nd

Fantasy pts allowed / game

20th17.7To QBs18.512th

12th23.0To RBs26.38th

5th38.0To WRs26.129th

30th9.9To TEs17.84th

Form

Last six results

Chargers0-8

Dolphins1-7

Injury report

League report

Chargers8 listed

QBrenen ThompsonWR · Quadriceps
QDeane LeonardCB · Concussion
QIsas WaxterCB · Ankle
QJustin EboigbeDT · Ankle
QJustin HerbertQB · Finger
QKayode AwosikaG · Lower Leg
QKendall WilliamsonS · Calf
QLadd McConkeyWR · Back

Dolphins2 listed

QJaylen WrightRB · Quadriceps
QWill KacmarekTE · Quadriceps

Expected starters

ExpectedEvery game →

Depth chart rank 1, adjusted for the injury report. Kickoff Sun, Dec 27, 1 PM ET.

Context

Rest & travel, all 32 →

WeatherTBDForecast closer to kickoff

VenueHard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens, FL

BroadcastFox1 PM ET · Sun, Dec 27

Travel & rest

Travel & rest board