The Dolphins can feel good with a win over the Rams, but it’s probably too late to matter

On By Littum

The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams were both in the playoffs last season. They both returned playoff quality rosters.

But you only get so many chances in an NFL season, and a couple of tough losses can create too big of a gap. The Dolphins may look at Monday night’s performance in a bittersweet way. They easily beat a pretty good Rams team on the road in a 23-15 win. They can also watch that film and wonder what might have been if Tua Tagovailoa hadn’t missed four games with a concussion and they didn’t lose consecutive games on last-second field goals when he returned. If they had a few more wins, they might be chasing another playoff spot instead of being way behind at 3-6.

The Rams will probably regret it too. They started the season slowly, but were 4-4 entering Monday’s game after three straight wins. Then they blew that momentum in an ugly performance against the Dolphins. They looked strangely unprepared, which is rarely the case with a Sean McVay team. At 4-5, the Rams aren’t dead, but their path to a playoff spot just got a lot harder.

The dolphins aren’t technically dead yet either. But barring an incredible finish, they will look back on games like Monday night and think how things could have turned out for them with a few breaks earlier in the season.

The Rams didn’t do much right in the first half. They gave up a very quick touchdown drive to start the game. The offensive line struggled to protect Matthew Stafford. Even when the Rams got an interception off a bad pass from Tagovailoa, Kyren Williams fumbled it away on the next play.

It’s rare to see the Rams look flat, but it was an ugly half for them.

The Dolphins weren’t much better. After their first touchdown drive, which ate up 70 yards in less than three minutes, the offense stalled. No quarterback had 100 yards in the first half. There were six punts and four turnovers before halftime between the teams. The Rams rallied for a field goal as the half expired and trailed only 10-6 at halftime. Considering how they fought, it wasn’t too bad a result.

The second half started with much of the same. The Rams drove, but a flubbed snap was recovered by Stafford for a 13-yard loss. The Rams still got a 52-yard field goal, but it was taken off the board due to a false start penalty. And then Joshua Karty missed the 57-yard attempt.

The Rams are one of the best coached teams in the NFL. But they were impossibly sloppy for most of Monday night.

The Dolphins took advantage of the 57-yard missed field goal by the Rams. Jonnu Smith had a catch and a hard run down the field to the 1-yard line, then Tyreek Hill caught a touchdown. That put Miami ahead 17-6.

The Rams still weren’t completely out of the game as they trailed 20-9 midway through the fourth quarter. The Rams drove inside the 5-yard line, and then the drive stalled and McVay elected to kick the field goal. That made it 20-12 with 6:31 left. The Rams just couldn’t execute when they needed to.

The Dolphins put the game away after that, picked up some first downs and chewed up most of the rest of the clock. Jason Sanders hit a field goal with 2:38 left to restore the lead to 11 points and pretty much seal the win. It wasn’t necessarily pretty for Miami, but it was a win on the road without much stress.

Miami has the talent to be a pretty good team for the rest of the season. The offense wasn’t great Monday night, but it tends to be good with Tagovailoa healthy, and the defense stifled a Rams offense that had been playing well. But with six losses already, Miami will need to be near perfect to earn another postseason berth.

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  • Dolphins win, 23-15

    That’s it. Miami recovers the onside kick to ice the game. Dolphins win, 23-15 to snap a three-game losing streak.

    On a sloppy night for both teams, the Dolphins were the better team on both sides of the ball. They offset two first-half turnovers with two takeaways of their own and kept the Rams out of the end zone all night.

    A couple of touchdowns and some clutch kicking from Jason Sanders (3 field goals, 2 from 50 yards) was enough to secure the win. The Dolphins improved to 3-6 with the win to give a boost to their slim playoff hopes. They dealt a blow to the Rams’ postseason aspirations as they fell to 4-5.

  • Rams kick another FG to cut deficit to one possession

    On third-and-10 with 42 seconds left, the Rams elected to kick a 31-yard field goal to cut Miami’s lead to 23-15. They need a successful onside kick to stay alive.

  • Dolphins extend the lead back to 2 possessions in the final 3 minutes

    The Dolphins didn’t quite close out the game, but they made it awfully difficult for the Rams. Miami drove 39 yards on eight plays in 3:53 and capped the possession with a 50-yard Jason Sanders field goal to extend their lead to 23-12.

    The Rams need a miracle with 2:38 left on the clock.

  • Rams settle for another FG in red zone

    The Rams just settled for another field goal. They drove to the Miami 4-yard line, but Matthew Stafford’s pass in the end zone to Demarcus Robinson in the end zone missed the target. With the Rams needing two scores, Jason Sanders opted for a field goal attempt.

    Sanders was good from 22 yards and the Dolphins led 20-12 with 6:31 left.

  • Dolphins convert on 3rd and 19 extending the lead to 2 possessions

    Tua Tagovailoa and Raheem Mostert combined to convert a big third-and-19 with a 25-yard gain. Tagovailoa scrambled out of the pocket on the setup for a screen pass and found Mostert streaking downfield on the impromptu play.

    Instead of punting, the Dolphins eventually scored on a 37-yard Jason Sanders field goal to extend their lead to two possessions at 20-9. The Rams have 9:07 to come back in this one.

  • Another Rams drive falls painfully short

    The Rams again drove into Dolphins territory only to see their possession blow up. Jevón Holland sacked Matthew Stafford on a third-and-7 blitz to put the Rams on fourth-and-19 at the Miami 35. It was the third Dolphins sack of the night on third down.

    Joshua Karty is good from 53 yards to cut Miami’s lead to 17-9 early in the fourth quarter. The Rams are still looking for their first touchdown.

  • Jonnu Smith sets up Dolphins TD with big catch and run: Dolphins 17, Rams 6

    Jonnu Smith just fumbled to set up a Dolphins touchdown. The Miami tight end caught a pass from Tua Tagovailoa over the middle, then jumped several defenders on his way to the 1-yard line for a 33-yard gain.

    Tagovailoa paid off the play with a one-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill.

  • Bad snap chokes the drive; The rams come up empty

    A bad snap just thwarted the best Rams drive of the night. Matthew Stafford couldn’t catch the snap over his head from Jonah Jackson. He ended up recovering the ball, but first-and-10 at the Miami 28 turned into second-and-23 at the 39.

    A false start eventually pushed a 52-yard field goal attempt back to 57 yards. Joshua Karty misses wide on the right and the Rams come up empty. Miami leads 10-6 and takes possession near midfield.

  • The Rams start the second half with the ball

    The second half is underway. Rams have the ball first.

  • Dolphins 10, Rams 6: Key statistics for the half

    A sloppy first half ended in a one-possession game. The Dolphins started off hot with a quick-strike touchdown on their first drive, but have struggled since the offense. The Rams needed three possessions to pick up their first first down, but trailed by just four points after their own strong showing on defense.

    Ram’s revenue: 2 (a fumble lost, an interception)
    Dolphins’ revenue: 2 (a fumble lost, an interception)

    Ram’s points: 3
    Dolphins strike: 3

    Tua Tagovailoa: 9 of 15, 87 yards; 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, 1 lost fumble
    Matthew Stafford: 15 of 21, 97 yards; 0 touchdowns, 1 interception

    De’Von Achane: 6 carries for 23 yards
    Kyren Williams: 6 carries for 25 yards, 1 lost fumble

    Dolphins total yards: 111 (3.8 yards per play)
    Rams Total Yards: 106 (3.3 yards per play)

  • Rams end half with long FG; Dolphins lead 10-6 at halftime

    The Rams drive 54 yards after the Dolphins’ punt and end the half with a field goal. Joshua Karty dead center from 55 yards and the Rams cut the Dolphins lead to 10-6 as the second quarter clock hits zero.

  • Another sack Tua forces a punt

    Byron Young sacks Tua Tagovailoa for a 15-yard loss to stymie Miami’s drive. Dolphins point with 2:20 left in the half and the Rams have a chance to tie it before halftime, trailing, 10-3.

  • Rams come on board

    The Rams pick up 20 yards and fall short of a touchdown after recovering Tua Tagovailoa’s fumble at the Miami 36-yard line. Another disappointing drive, but at least it ends in points. Joshua Karty’s field goal is good from 34 yards to cut Miami’s lead to 10-3.

  • And another Tua turnover

    Now the Dolphins give the ball back on a Tua Tagovailoa fumble after their own recovered fumble. Jared Verse comes up with the sack, forced fumble and recovery for the defensive trifecta.

    That’s three turnovers in less than three minutes. The Rams are looking for just their third first down midway through the second quarter. Miami leads 10-0.

  • Rams give the ball back

    After the interception, the Rams gave the ball back to the Dolphins on the first play of their drive. Kyren Williams fumbled on a run up the middle and the Dolphins recovered. Rams can’t get anything right so far.

  • Tua throws pick, leans head first to tackle on return

    Tua Tagovailoa just threw an interception to Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom on an ill-advised pass over the middle. Almost to make matters worse, he leaned head first in an attempt to make a tackle on the return.

    He looks ok, but another dangerous play given his concussion history. Just let him go, Tua.

  • Another Rams kick

    Another Rams possession, another punt. Calais Campbell sacks Matthew Stafford on third down and the Rams punt after a 10-yard drive. Miami leads 10-0 early in the second quarter.

  • The Dolphins extend their lead to 10-0

    Miami picks up 22 yards after the interception by Matthew Stafford and settles for a Jason Sanders field goal. Sanders is good from the 50 to extend the Dolphins lead to 10-0. Jaylen Waddle dropped a third-down pass that would have extended the drive.

  • Anthony Walker signs Matthew Stafford

    The Rams finally got their first first down on their third possession. But a Matthew Stafford pass tipped at the line by Calais Campbell was intercepted by Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker. Miami has a 7-0 lead and takes over near midfield late in the first quarter.

  • Defense dominates after early Dolphins TD

    Now it’s the Rams’ turn for a stop. They force a punt after a Dolphins 16-yard drive to get the ball back. Both defenses have been suffocating since Miami’s quick-strike opening-drive touchdown. Can the Rams get something going on offense? Miami leads 7-0.