Halfway by a season of heartbreaking losses, main accidents and maddeningly inconsistent play, the Miami Dolphins largely put it collectively on Monday evening.
Whereas their preseason Tremendous Bowl aspirations nonetheless look unlikely, the Dolphins’ gritty 23-15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams demonstrated that they nonetheless might have a shot to make one thing out of a really attempting 12 months.
Tyreek Hill caught a brief landing move from Tua Tagovailoa within the third quarter to finish the longest scoring drought of his profession, and the Dolphins (3-6) saved Los Angeles out of the tip zone whereas snapping their three-game shedding streak with simply their second victory in eight video games.
“After we’re enjoying our greatest ball, we are able to nonetheless beat anyone,” defensive deal with Calais Campbell stated. “We’ve simply acquired to proceed to imagine, proceed to combat. And clearly the margin for error is zero. So it’s one recreation, however we’ve acquired to maintain it going. For us to go the place we need to go, we’ve acquired to maintain preventing and imagine.”
Rookie receiver Malik Washington rushed 18 yards on the opening possession of a much-needed turnaround evening for the beleaguered Dolphins (3-6), who had misplaced three video games by a mixed 10 factors since their final victory on 6 October.
Miami’s strong protection stepped up impressively at SoFi Stadium, forcing two turnovers and preserving the Rams touchdown-less regardless of yielding 327 yards.
Tagovailoa handed for less than 207 yards, however he made a collection of huge throws whereas the Dolphins transformed six third downs, most of them at key moments. Tagovailoa was 9 of 12 for 137 yards on third downs alone.
“We’ve come a good distance by nonetheless many losses in a row,” Tagovailoa stated. “The resilience of this group with the exterior noise, everybody counting us out, hopefully this is a chance to not waste. Hopefully we are able to go on a run with this win and discover our rhythm.”
Hill had three receptions – together with his first TD catch for the reason that season opener – whereas enjoying by a wrist harm, and Jason Sanders kicked three subject objectives.
“That is the form of recreation that may spark a run,” Campbell stated. “However it doesn’t imply something if we don’t win the following one … The exhausting half is, how do you proceed this? However like we stated within the [pregame] conferences, to create a wildfire, all it takes is one spark. So we hold believing, hold preventing and make a run for it.”
The Rams’ run was stopped in its tracks.
Matthew Stafford handed for 293 yards and rookie Joshua Karty kicked 5 subject objectives for the Rams (4-5), whose three-game profitable streak ended with a serious offensive regression. Los Angeles failed to attain a landing for less than the eighth time in coach Sean McVay’s eight seasons.
“Defensively, I used to be happy with the way in which we performed,” McVay stated. “In the end we weren’t in a position to capitalize on offense. There wasn’t any semblance of complementary soccer … There have been cases the place we haven’t been constant sufficient. Sloppy? Yeah. We’ve got to have the ability to play higher and be extra constant.”
After scoring 76 factors of their three straight wins, Los Angeles failed to attain a landing for the primary time since November 2023, at Inexperienced Bay whereas Stafford was injured.
Puka Nacua had 9 catches for 98 yards, and Cooper Kupp made seven receptions for 80 yards.
Los Angeles drove to the Miami four-yard line within the fourth quarter, however McVay settled for a fourth subject objective that made it a one-score recreation with 6:31 to play. Miami’s Odell Beckham Jr then made a key catch for a primary down within the stadium the place he badly injured his knee whereas profitable the Tremendous Bowl with the Rams three seasons in the past, and the Dolphins drove for Sanders’ 50-yard subject objective with 2:38 left.
