The Miami Dolphins managed to stay in the playoff race with a gritty 23-15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, despite a performance marked by missed opportunities and turnovers from both sides.
Miami struck early in each half, scoring two touchdowns on their opening drives. However, they struggled to maintain offensive momentum, relying on kicker Jason Sanders for 50- and 37-yard field goals and totaling just 238 yards.
The Rams also faced offensive difficulties throughout the night, plagued by high snaps, penalties, and poor pass protection. They went just 1-of-10 on third down and failed to convert in the red zone, going 0-for-2.
Both teams committed multiple turnovers. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception and lost a fumble on a strip-sack, while Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford also threw an interception, and running back Kyren Williams lost a fumble.
Miami extended its lead to 17-6 in the third quarter when Tagovailoa connected with Tyreek Hill on a 1-yard touchdown pass — Hill’s first touchdown since Week 1. Jonnu Smith’s 33-yard reception to the 1-yard line set up the score. The Rams narrowed the lead with a 53-yard field goal from Joshua Karty, making it 17-9, but Sanders’ 37-yard response kept Miami comfortably ahead at 20-9.
Los Angeles had a chance to close the gap after driving inside the 10-yard line, but Stafford’s pass to Demarcus Robinson fell incomplete on third-and-goal, leading to another field goal from Karty. With a chance to make a comeback, the Rams defense couldn’t stop Miami on a crucial third down, where Tagovailoa found former Ram Odell Beckham Jr. for an 11-yard completion. Sanders then sealed the game with a 50-yard field goal.
Though L.A. narrowed the lead to eight points with a late field goal, they couldn’t recover the onside kick, securing Miami’s victory.
Tagovailoa finished the game 20-of-28 for 207 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and a fumble. Jaylen Waddle led the Dolphins with 57 receiving yards, while Hill contributed three catches for 16 yards and two rushes for 11 yards. Rookie Malik Washington scored his first career touchdown on an 18-yard rush in the first quarter.
For the Rams, Stafford completed 32-of-46 passes for 293 yards with one interception. Williams rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries, while Puka Nacua caught nine passes for 98 yards, and Cooper Kupp added seven catches for 80 yards.
Injuries hit the Dolphins, with cornerback Kendall Fuller leaving due to concussion protocol and left guard Robert Jones exiting with a knee injury.
With this win, Miami improves to 3-6 and will host the 2-7 Raiders next week. Meanwhile, the Rams, now 4-5, will travel to face the New England Patriots, who sit at 3-7.
