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)

Line: Dolphins by 3½

Notable injury designations: Chargers: CB Bryce Callahan (doubtful, groin), S Derwin James Jr. (doubtful, quadriceps), DL Sebastian Joseph-Day (doubtful, knee), RT Trey Pipkins III (doubtful, knee), TE Richard Rodgers (questionable, knee). Dolphins: OT Terron Armstead (questionable, toe/pectoral), QB Teddy Bridgewater (questionable, knee), WR River Cracraft (doubtful, calf), TE Durham Smythe (questionable, quadriceps/knee), DT Justin Zimmer (questionable, back).

What’s at stake: The injury-depleted Chargers have been facing must-win scenarios for weeks, and nothing changes with the Dolphins’ arrival as their opponent for Week 14. The Chargers have lost three of their past four games, putting themselves into this precarious position with five must-win games ahead of them. The Dolphins, seeking to stay within striking distance of the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills (9-3), stayed on the West Coast to practice this past week after a 33-17 loss in Week 13 to the San Francisco 49ers.

Who’s better: The Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa averages nine yards per completion, which is tops among NFL quarterbacks with 20 or more attempts. Tyreek Hill leads the league with 96 catches for 1,379 yards. No question, they’ll be a handful for the Chargers’ injury-riddled defense. Miami misfired during last week’s loss to the 49ers, but Tagovailoa still passed for 295 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Hill had nine catches for 146 yards and one touchdown, his sixth game this season with 125 yards or more receiving. Linebackers Bradley Chubb and Melvin Ingram will look to pressure Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, as other top pass rushers have in recent weeks. Chubb leads the Dolphins with eight sacks.

Matchup to watch: Herbert was sacked 12 times in the Chargers’ first nine games, but he’s been under relentless pressure in the past three games behind an offensive line made up of two rookies, two backups and one veteran. The Kansas City Chiefs sacked Herbert five times, the Arizona Cardinals sacked him four times and the Las Vegas Raiders sacked him five times. Suffice it to say, it’s been a rough past three games for Herbert, the engine that makes the Chargers go. The Chargers’ offensive line must protect him against Chubb and Ingram if they’re to have any chance at winning. All things considered, Herbert has handled the pressure as well as could be expected. He threw for 335 yards last week against the Raiders, his 20th career game of 300 yards or more in only three seasons in the NFL.

Chargers win if: Perfection is elusive in all sports – and life, too – and football is no exception. But the Chargers are going to have to play an almost flawless game in order to beat the Dolphins. No turnovers. No sacks. No plays for losses. No penalties. No defensive lapses. No offensive gaffes. The Chargers must not make mistakes and they must find a way into pressuring the Dolphins into playing a sloppy game.

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Fantasy sleepers: Wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have played only a handful of snaps together this season because of injuries. Allen and Williams are expected to be together again Sunday, giving Herbert the best of all possible one-two combinations, something he hasn’t had consistently since the first half of the first game of the season Sept. 11.

Prediction: The Chargers would appear to be too wounded defensively to keep up with Tagovailoa, Hill and the Dolphins’ offense. It could be as simple as the Dolphins having too much firepower for the Chargers. If the Chargers’ offense can counter the Dolphins’ offense score for score, then it could make for an entertaining, high-scoring game. If not, it could be one-sided in Miami’s favor. Dolphins 28, Chargers 24.