SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Lamar Smith ran for a pair of first-half touchdowns as the Miami Dolphins maintained first place in the competitive AFC East with a 17-7 victory over the winless San Diego Chargers.
Smith carried 27 times for 69 yards as Miami won its third straight game since blowing a 23-point fourth-quarter lead in a 40-37 overtime loss to the New York Jets on October 23. Miami hosts New York next week.
The Dolphins (8-2) remained one game in front of the Indianapolis Colts in the East.
"The first thing I said to the team was I commended them about going two weeks in a row on the road and winning," Miami coach Dave Wannstedt said. "We didn't come up with a lot of big rushing numbers today, but we held the ball for a lot of minutes and we didn't have any turnovers.
Just like the loss against the Jets, the Dolphins dominated play in the first half but this time held on for the win. Jay Fiedler completed 11-of-14 passes for 152 yards in the first half, but was just 2-of-6 for eight yards thereafter.
"Jay Fiedler played a very good game," Wannstedt said. "He went 9-for-9 to start the game off. This (San Diego's) is one of the better defenses around so we knew we had to throw the football. We wanted to keep them off balance and Fiedler did a great job of mixing things up. We are really excited to have eight wins at this point in the season. I am really proud of our guys, we have the toughest part of our schedule ahead of us."
On Miami's first play from scrimmage, Fiedler found Oronde Gadsden with a 61-yard pass to the San Diego 6. Smith ran up the middle for four yards before sprinting off right tackle for a two-yard TD run and a 7-0 lead just 1:41 into the game.
"The thing about this game today is we were a little shell-shocked, probably stunned right off the bat on the long pass," San Diego coach Mike Riley said. "They had two weeks in a row like that where they scored twice on teams and gotten up fast and last week against Detroit, faster than that."
Fielder also directed an 11-play, 66-yard drive that gave the Dolphins a 14-0 advantage when Smith scored from six yards out 44 seconds into the second quarter.
Smith gained 41 yards in the second half when Miami had just five first downs and 39 yards in total offense.
Olindo Mare kicked a 35-yard field goal with 6:33 left in the third quarter to give Miami a 17-0 lead. The drive was helped by a 33-yard pass interference penalty on DeRon Jenkins, putting the ball on the San Diego 30. Smith had the rest of Miami's yards on the drive, carrying three times for 13 yards and catching a three-yard pass.
Despite containing Miami's offense in the second half, San Diego (0-10) became the first team in the NFL to start 0-10 since the 1997 Indianapolis Colts.
San Diego's Moses Moreno was 9-of-21 for 67 yards with two interceptions before leaving in the third quarter with a sprained left knee.
"I will know more about tomorrow when I get it looked at," said Moreno about his injury. "On that last throw I just got kind of spun around and my cleat got caught and things like that happen in the game. We will just see how it goes."
Ryan Leaf replaced Moreno and had an eight-yard TD pass to fullback Fred McCrary, who made a nice one-hand catch to pull the Chargers within 17-7 just five seconds into the fourth quarter.
Leaf also left the game with a knee injury after sliding for a first down on a 14-yard gain to the Miami 46 with 1:12 remaining. Jim Harbaugh led the Chargers to the 27 after completions to running back Terrell Fletcher and tight end Freddie Jones. But after two incompletions, cornerback Patrick Surtain intercepted Harbaugh's desperation pass in the end zone.
