What we learned from Miami's 23-15 win

FULL BOX SCORE

1. There is sloppy play. You can't tell the story of this game without explaining the misfortune of the first half. Towards the end of the first quarter Calais Campbell distracted a Matthew Stafford Pass just enough to redirect it into the linebacker's arms Anthony Walker for an interception. After a Miami field goal and a Rams punt Tua Tagovailoa returned the favor and threw an off-balance pass into the arms of Christian Rozeboom for an interception. Right on the next piece Kyren Williams fumbled and gave the ball back to the Dolphins. Four pieces later, Jared verse sacked Tagovailoa and changed possession again. From there, the turnover fest cooled down, but the errors continued. An open one Jaylen Waddle dropped a pass on third down. Stafford fumbled but recovered (he did it again early in the third quarter). Joshua Karty missed a 57-yard field goal. And although it wasn't the last mistake, defensive tackle Bobby Brown drew a personal foul penalty for a headbutt Liam Eichenberggave the Dolphins 15 free yards on a drive that ended with one Jason Sanders Field goal. Mistakes piled up throughout the night, making for a somewhat ugly viewing experience, but the Dolphins emerged victorious because they were able to capitalize on their chances more often than the Rams. Let's just hope the next game on Monday night isn't as chaotic.
2. Tagovailoa fights through the turbulent night. Miami's offense has struggled throughout the 2024 season, and it was by no means a pretty game for one offense or the other, but if I had to choose between the two, it would be Miami's game for at least one night. The reason for this is simple: the Dolphins managed to reach third down more often than their opponents. The Dolphins finished 6 of 13 on third down, punted on just three of their 10 possessions and, most importantly, managed to put points on the board on every drive that ended in Rams territory. The picture itself wasn't the best – Tagovailoa's pocket awareness and reaction were shockingly poor, suggesting there's still some rust left after his extended layoff – but he still managed to make enough throws to keep drives long persevere enough and get points. And Tagovailoa capped the second most impressive drive of the night with a dart Tyreek Hill for a score. Combined with a suddenly faltering defense, that mix was enough to end Miami's three-game losing streak and pick up a much-needed win.
3. Miami's defensive front is reaching its peak. Zach SielerFor the average football fan, the team's return may have flown under the radar, but ball insiders – especially those who love the trench game – knew how important it could be for the Dolphins. So did the Rams. Sieler was double-teamed 25 times on the night – good for 58.1% of his 43 pass-rushing snaps – yet he still managed to record two QB pressures and two tackles. What didn't show up in the stats was how Sieler's presence and Miami's creative effort played out Calais Campbell increased the entire unit. Campbell caused Stafford's interception and recorded a sack and two pressures as a rookie Hack Robinson finished the game with a team-high five pressures and a sack. The most important statistic of all defined the night of this match: Of Miami's four sacks, three came on third down. After being an overall average unit for most of the season, the Dolphins brought a new aggressiveness to SoFi Stadium on Monday night, preventing the Rams from reaching a goal-to-go situation and completely leaving the end zone until the fourth quarter Night. If they can keep this up, they may have reason to hope that they can salvage this season.
4. The Rams dropped the ball all night long. That's not entirely literal – although there were some of those – but Los Angeles will be driving itself crazy reviewing this tape all week. The Rams finished the third 3 for 12, and two of those conversions came on their final drive, which was little more than a last-ditch attempt to cut the game to one point before praying they might get an onside kick would win back (which they did). 'T). It was shocking to see Sean McVay's offense struggling so much, especially considering Stafford had both Cooper Kupp And Puka Nacua at his disposal. Nacua finished the game with nine catches for 98 yards, and Kupp followed close behind with seven catches for 80 yards, but their combined efforts couldn't get them into the end zone. Stafford threw 46 passes, completing 32 for 293 yards, but will likely reflect more on those third-down sacks and the many other missed opportunities than his smaller successes. After winning three straight to get out of a 1-4 hole, the Rams have problems to work out again.
5. Verse is a bolt. If Jared verse He wasn't on your radar when he finished his illustrious career at Florida State University, he better be there now. Just look at Monday night's numbers: four tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a team-high six quarterback pressures (including two quick pressures), for a pressure rate of 23.1%. He's been a beast since his time with the Seminoles, and he and his former FSU teammate Braden Fiske are both quality investments for the Rams. He's likely to be a favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, could make an outside appearance in the Pro Bowl and soon become a household name. Despite the Rams' loss, it wasn't hard to see Verse's contribution. Get used to seeing more of it.

Insight into Dolphins-Rams next generation stats (via NFL Pro): Rookie edge Chop Robinson generated five pressures (tying his season-high) and one sack in 30 pass-rush snaps (16.7% pressure rate) against the Rams on Monday night. In 16 face-offs against right tackle Joe Noteboom, playing in his first game since Week 1 this season, he recorded four of his pressures.

NFL Research: As a team, the Dolphins' defense set a season-high in sacks (four), set a season-high in takeaways (two) and played its first game without allowing a touchdown this season.