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

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — If the Miami Dolphins salvage their 2-6 start to the season, their win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 could be the spark.

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

More importantly, the Dolphins cracked the door open for a potential playoff run as the win puts them 1.5 games back of the Denver Broncos for the AFC’s seventh seed. Only three teams in NFL history have rebounded from a 2-6 start to make the playoffs, but with home games against the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots over the next two weeks, Miami could be 5-6 when the team travels to Green Bay on Thanksgiving to play the Packers.

Entering Week 10, the Dolphins had an 8.1% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN’s FPI, but they will play the league’s 10th-easiest remaining schedule. With their chances of winning the AFC East virtually nonexistent, the Dolphins will need to capture one of three wild-card spots to keep their two-year playoff streak alive.

QB breakdown: Tua Tagovailoa overcame a potentially disastrous second quarter during which he threw an interception and lost a fumble on consecutive drives. He finished with 207 yards and a touchdown but converted five third-down attempts. He took a couple of untimely sacks, which coach Mike McDaniel said was the result of him trying to do too much, something Tagovailoa continues to work on in his fifth season.

Describe game in two words: Constant pressure. Miami’s defense made life awful for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was pressured 13 times and sacked four times — a season high for the Dolphins.

Promising trend: No Dolphins player has more quarterback pressures since Week 5 than Chop Robinson, who was thrust into a more prominent role after the injury to Jaelan Phillips. He continued that trend with five pressures Monday night and recorded his second sack of the season in as many games. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

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

The Rams entered the game with an 18.4% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics, but they couldn’t keep pace in the NFC West with the loss.

After the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers won on Sunday, ESPN Analytics had the Rams’ chances to win the division at 11.5%.

But on Monday, their offense struggled, despite having wide receiver Cooper Kupp, wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive linemen Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson all back from injury for the first time since the season opener.

According to ESPN Research, this is the 50th game for the Rams that Matthew Stafford started at quarterback. This is only the second time in those 50 games that Los Angeles failed to score a touchdown.

The Rams’ offensive woes showed up on third down. The offense entered the game converting 36% of third downs, which is ranked 23rd in the NFL. On Monday night, the Rams were 1-of-10 (10%).

Los Angeles fell to 4-5, its first loss since the Week 6 bye.

Quarterback breakdown: After throwing six touchdown passes in the Rams’ previous two games, Stafford did not throw 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 an interception. He has thrown an interception in six straight games, tied for the longest streak in his career, according to ESPN Research.

Most surprising performance: The offensive line. In the Rams’ previous three games, Stafford had been sacked once. But on Monday night, he was sacked four times, despite getting Avila (MCL sprain) and Jackson (shoulder) back from injured reserve. The Rams were without right tackle Rob Havenstein, who was out with an ankle injury. The Dolphins’ defense did this despite entering the game with 10 sacks, the second fewest in the NFL.

Promising trend: First-round draft pick Jared Verse continued to impress. He had a sack for the third game in a row and two tackles for a loss. According to the Rams, Verse’s 11 tackles for a loss through his first nine career games are tied for the second most with Von Miller and Micah Parsons since it became an official stat in 1999. — Sarah Barshop

Next game: at Patriots (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)