Tua and the Dolphins keep playoff hopes alive in win vs. Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — If the Miami Dolphins can bounce back from a 2-6 start to the season, a win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 could be a springboard.

The Dolphins won for the second year in a row at SoFi Stadium, this time defeating the Rams 23-15 in a game in which they never trailed. Miami snapped its losing streak at three games, two of which came on last-second field goals.

More importantly, the win puts the Dolphins 1.5 games behind the seventh-seeded Denver Broncos in the AFC, opening the door to a possible playoff berth. Only three teams in NFL history have bounced back from a 2-6 start to make the playoffs, but with home games against the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots coming up over the next two weeks, the team will go green. Miami could be 5-6 at this point. They are scheduled to play the Packers on Thanksgiving.

Entering Week 10, the Dolphins had an 8.1% chance of making the playoffs and had the 10th easiest remaining schedule in the league, according to ESPN’s FPI. With virtually no chance of winning the AFC East, the Dolphins will need to earn one of three wild-card spots to stay in the playoffs for the second straight year.

QB breakdown: Tua Tagovailoa overcame a potentially disastrous second quarter, throwing an interception and losing fumbles on back-to-back drives. He finished with 207 yards and one touchdown, but converted five third-down attempts. He had some ill-timed sacks, which manager Mike McDaniel said were a result of him trying too hard, but Tagovailoa continues to work on that in his fifth season.

Describe the game in two words: constant pressure. Miami’s defense made life terrible for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, being pressured 13 times and sacked four times, a season high for the Dolphins.

Promising trends: Since Week 5, no Dolphins player has been under more pressure at quarterback than Chomp Robinson, who was given a more prominent role after Jaelan Phillips was injured. He continued that trend Monday night with five pressures, his second sack of the season in as many games. — Marcel Louis Jacques

Next match: vs. Raiders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

The Rams entered the game with an 18.4% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics, but the loss prevented them from keeping pace in the NFC West.

After Sunday’s wins over the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, the Rams now have an 11.5% chance of winning the division, according to ESPN Analytics.

But on Monday, the offense struggled even though wide receiver Cooper Kupp, wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive linemen Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson returned from injury for the first time since the opener.

According to ESPN Research, this will be the 50th game Matthew Stafford has started as QB for the Rams. This is the second time in 50 games that Los Angeles has failed to score a touchdown.

The Rams’ offensive woes showed up on third down. The offense entered the game with a third-down success rate of 36%, which ranked 23rd in the NFL. On Monday night, the Rams were 3 of 12 (25%).

Los Angeles fell to 4-5, their first loss since a bye in Week 6.

Quarterback breakdown: Stafford, who has thrown six touchdown passes in the Rams’ past two games, didn’t throw a single one against a Dolphins defense that entered the game ranked 26th in pass defense DVOA. Stafford completed 32 of 46 passes for 293 yards and one interception. According to ESPN Research, he has thrown an interception in six consecutive games, tying the longest streak of his career.

The most amazing performance: offensive line. In the Rams’ last three games, Stafford has been sacked once. But on Monday night, he was waived four times, despite having Avila (MCL sprain) and Jackson (shoulder) return from injured reserve. The Rams were without right tackle Rob Havenstein with an ankle injury. The Dolphins’ defense accomplished this despite entering the game with 10 sacks, the second-fewest in the NFL.

Promising trends: First-round draft pick Jared Verse continued to impress. He was sacked in three consecutive games and had two tackles for loss. According to the Rams, Barth’s 11 tackles for loss in the first nine games of his career are the second-most since the statistic became official in 1999, behind only Von Miller and Micah Parsons. — Sarah Barshop

Next match: At Patriots (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)