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Chargers face Dolphins in must-win mode now more than ever

Keenan Allen thought about the question for about a nanosecond.

“Yes,” he said.

Every single one of the Chargers’ final five games is a must-win, starting with Sunday night’s game against the Miami Dolphins at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers are 6-6 and they desperately need to win at least four of their final five if they are to rally for an AFC wild-card playoff berth.

Then again, don’t all 17 regular-season games fit into the must-win category? It’s a long season in terms of days, weeks and months, but not in the number of games played. One slip on any given Sunday, or Monday or Thursday, might not prove costly, but several of them stacked together definitely could.

It could be a daunting way to look at any NFL season, with the pressure to win every game hovering over a team from September to January. Allen, a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, disagreed. He said he believed it all comes with the territory, part of the league’s job description.

“You come into the season wanting to win all 17,” he said.

The Chargers had good intentions upon their arrival at SoFi Stadium for the season-opening game Sept. 11, but things began to go haywire after beating the Las Vegas Raiders and then losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 15. They’ve been beaten, battered and bruised in the weeks that followed.

Injuries to key players on both sides of the ball have proved costly, with lineups shifting from week to week as the coaching and athletic training staffs have worked feverishly to maintain a healthy and effective lineup on the field from game to game. It hasn’t been easy.

Players have rotated into and out of the lineup like pedestrians streaming through an old-fashioned revolving door. Consistency has taken a beating. The Chargers haven’t been whole since the first half of their first game, when Allen was sidelined by a nagging hamstring injury.

This week will be another example.

The Chargers expect to welcome center Corey Linsley (concussion) and wide receiver Mike Williams (ankle) back from injuries. However, cornerback Bryce Callahan (groin), safety Derwin James Jr. (quadriceps) and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day (knee) aren’t expected to play.

It all helps to explain how and why the Chargers got to this point, with their season teetering on the brink as they welcome the Dolphins (8-4) to SoFi Stadium. A victory over Miami keeps their hopes alive. A loss doesn’t end their chances, but it would make them rather remote.

“It’s always challenging when you lose guys like Sebastian, understanding what he means to the interior of our defense,” Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack said. “It’s just going to mean all hands on board and making sure we’ve got guys coming in who can make an impact right away in the run game.”

After all, the Chargers have given up 5.43 yards per rushing attempt, the highest total in the NFL since the 1950s, according to research by The Associated Press. Washington gave up 5.48 yards per carry in 1959. The Cincinnati Reds set the record for futility at 6.4 yards in 1933.

The Dolphins aren’t an especially strong rushing team, but they do have two potentially dangerous threats in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill. They would be a handful even if the Chargers were at full strength in their secondary, which they are not.

“Guys gotta step up, man,” Mack said. “Understanding the situation, you’ve got to have guys come in and play ball and be noticed in a good way. I’m not saying they can play at that level (at which James plays), but understanding the situation and giving us a chance.”

James’ absence could be especially acute against a prolific Dolphins passing offense. He is, after all, a team leader in ways great and small, a seasoned veteran who began making a name for himself as a difference maker as a rookie when the Chargers last advanced to the playoffs in 2018.

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Playing without him Sunday could ratchet up the pressure on the Chargers as their must-win countdown continues.

“Ultimately, for younger guys, you can’t really put the pressure on them when you say stuff like, ‘Make a playoff push,’ and all of these different things,” Mack said. “You have to say things like, ‘Winning the down,’ or ‘Winning your 1-on-1s.’ Just doing your job. That’s all we have to do, give ourselves a chance.”

CHARGERS (6-6) vs. DOLPHINS (8-4)

When: 5:20 p.m. Sunday

Where: SoFi Stadium

TV/Radio: Ch. 4/98.7 FM; 105.5 FM/94.3 FM (Spanish)

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