Dolphins score on opening drive and mistake-prone Rams can never catch them
Too many wasted opportunities. Too many missed blocks at the line of scrimmage and tackles in the open field.
The momentum–turning plays that the Rams executed during their three-game winning streak were noticeably absent on Monday night against the Miami Dolphins in a 23-15 defeat before 72,474 at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams trailed from start to finish, falling behind 10-6 in the first half.
The loss dropped the Rams’ record to 4-5 going into Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Rams lose 23-15 to Dolphins after failing to recover onside kick
🏈 Dolphins 23, Rams 15 — FINAL
The Rams failed to recover an onside kick in the final minute to see their three-game winning streak come to a frustrating end in a loss to the Dolphins.
Joshua Karty kicked a 31-yard field on third down — his fifth field goal of the game — with 39 seconds left in regulation to make it a one-score game, but Duke Riley recovered the onside kick to end the game.
Matthew Stafford and the Rams put together a 12-play, 58-yard drive on their final possession, but failed to find the end zone once again. Stafford completed 32 of 46 passes for 293 yards, with an interception. He was sacked four times.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 20 of 28 passes for 207 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
The Rams had six penalties for 64 yards and had two turnovers. Miami also had two turnovers, but just one penalty for 15 yards. The Rams also converted on just three of 12 third downs.
The Rams (4-5) will hit the road to play the New England Patriots on Sunday. The Dolphins (3-6) play host to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Dolphins extend their lead on field goal late in fourth quarter
🏈 Dolphins 23, Rams 12 — 2:38 left in the fourth quarter
Jason Sanders kicked a 50-yard field goal for the Dolphins to once again frustrate the Rams’ efforts to make it a one-possession game.
The field goal came at the end of an eight-play, 39-yard drive that took nearly four minutes off the clock and compelled the Rams to use two timeouts.
Former Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. caught a critical 11-yard pass from Tagovailoa on third down to extend the drive. Tagovailoa then connected with Malik Washington for 17 yards on the next play to move the Dolphins into field-goal range.
Matthew Stafford and Rams have to settle for another field goal
🏈 Dolphins 20, Rams 12 — 6:31 left in the fourth quarter
Joshua Karty kicked a 22-yard field goal after Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense came up short in the red zone again.
After piecing together a speedy, eight-play, 66-yard drive, the Rams stalled inside the Miami five-yard line. Stafford threw an incomplete pass intended for Demarcus Robinson on third and goal, missing a potential scoring pass to an open Kyren Williams underneath.
Cooper Kupp caught passes of 19 and 16 yards on the drive.
All of the Rams’ points have come off Karty field goals. The Rams are one for 10 on third down.
Dolphins kick another field goal to take 20-9 lead in fourth quarter
🏈 Dolphins 20, Rams 9 — 9:57 left in the fourth quarter
Jason Sanders kicked a 37-yard field goal to extend the Dolphins’ lead, frustrating the Rams’ effort to keep it a one-score game.
During the 11-play, 51-yard drive, Rams pass rusher Kobie Turner sacked Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a nine-yard loss that pushed the Dolphins out of field-goal range. But on the next play, Tagovailoa found Raheem Mostert wide open for a 25-yard gain on third and long.
Joshua Karty kicks third field goal of game for Rams
🏈 Dolphins 17, Rams 9 — 14:55 left in the fourth quarter
Joshua Karty kicked a 53-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it an eight-point game.
The field goal came after an 11-play, 39-yard drive that ended with Matthew Stafford being sacked for the fourth time.
The drive did include a nice, one-handed catch by Cooper Kupp on an excellent pass from Stafford for 17 yards.
Dolphins score touchdown after capitalizing on Rams mistake
🏈 Dolphins 17, Rams 6 — 5:32 left in the third quarter
Tua Tagovailoa tossed a one-yard touchdown pass to receiver Tyreek Hill to extend the lead.
The Dolphins scored after capitalizing on a Rams error.
Rams kicker Joshua Karty kicked what appeared to be a 52-yard field goal, but the Rams were penalized for illegal procedure. Karty’s ensuing 57-yard attempt was wide right.
The Dolphins then drove 53 yards in six plays. Receiver Jonnu Smith made the key play when he broke several tackles en route to a 33-yard gain to the one-yard line that set up the touchdown.
Mistakes proving costly for Rams in third quarter
🏈 Dolphins 10, Rams 6 — 9:11 left in the third quarter
Rams kicker Joshua Karty missed a 57-yard field-goal attempt after a false start penalty on offensive lineman Beaux Limmer negated a successful 52-yard attempt.
The nine-play, 31-yard drive stalled, in part, because of a bad snap from center Jonah Jackson that led to a 13-yard loss.
Kyren Williams, who has 52 yards in 11 carries tonight, is seemingly doing everything he can to get inside the heads of Dolphins players.
Joshua Karty kicks a 55-yard field goal on final play of first half
🏈 Dolphins 10, Rams 6 — HALFTIME
Joshua Karty kicked a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter to cut the Dolphins’ lead to four points.
The Rams got the ball at their nine-yard line with 2 minutes 13 seconds remaining and moved into field-goal range on Matthew Stafford’s 16-yard pass to Puka Nacua.
Stafford has completed 15 of 21 passes for 97 yards, with an interception.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has completed nine of 15 passes for 87 yards, with an interception.
Joshua Karty kicks a field goal after a series of turnovers
🏈 Dolphins 10, Rams 3 — 5:46 left in second quarter
Joshua Karty kicked a 34-yard field goal to pull the Rams to within seven points.
The field goal followed a series of turnovers.
Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom intercepted a pass by Tua Tagovailoa, but the Rams gave the ball back on the ensuing play when running back Kyren Williams fumbled.
But Rams rookie edge rusher Jared Verse subsequently sacked Tagovailoa and forced him to fumble. Verse also recovered the fumble, giving the Rams another opportunity.
Dolphins extend their lead on 50-yard field goal
🏈 Dolphins 10, Rams 0 — 14:07 left in the second quarter
Jason Sanders extended the Dolphins’ lead with a 50-yard field goal.
The Dolphins capitalized after linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. intercepted a tipped pass by Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Stafford has completed four of six passes for 13 yards.
Dolphins waste no time finding the end zone
🏈 Dolphins 7, Rams 0 — 12:01 left in the first quarter
Receiver Malik Washington scored on an 18-yard touchdown run to give the Dolphins the early lead.
The Dolphins took the opening kickoff and drove 70 yards in five plays.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed passes of 19 and 36 yards to receiver Jaylen Waddle to set up the touchdown.
John Robinson, coach who led USC to national title and Rams to two championship games, dies at 89
John Robinson, who coached his signature run-oriented USC football team to a national title and took the Los Angeles Rams to two NFL conference championship games, has died. He was 89.
Robinson, whose USC teams won four Rose Bowls in his two stints with the Trojans, died Monday in Baton Rouge, La., of complications from pneumonia, USC announced.
Robinson succeeded the legendary John McKay at USC in 1976 and continued the Trojans’ winning tradition for seven seasons. The Rams lured him to pro football in 1983 and he led the franchise to numerous playoff appearances and the brink of two Super Bowls before returning to USC a decade later. His last coaching job was at Nevada Las Vegas, where he temporarily revived a moribund program.
Jalen Ramsey’s L.A. impact is still championed by Rams preparing to face Dolphins
Jalen Ramsey is a season and a half removed from playing for the Rams.
But the Miami Dolphins star cornerback’s influence still runs through a Rams defense that adopted many of the three-time All-Pro’s traits.
Four Rams defensive backs were Ramsey’s teammates in 2021, when the Rams won Super Bowl LVI. And rookie starters in the secondary and defensive line said they have studied Ramsey since he played at Florida State.
Inactives for Rams and Miami Dolphins on Monday night
Here are the players who will not be playing for the Rams on Monday night against the Dolphins:
Rams inactives: QB Stetson Bennett, RB Cody Schrader, OL Dylan McMahon, OL Rob Havenstein, DL Neville Gallimore, DL Desjuan Johnson
And here are the Dolphins’ inactives:
Bobby Brown III making a big impact for the Rams on defense
Rams rookie edge rusher Jared Verse, rookie lineman Braden Fiske, second-year edge rusher Byron Young and second-year tackle Kobie Turner have garnered most of the media attention with their aggressive play.
But fourth-year pro Bobby Brown III also is making an impact.
“He’s just been on the ascent,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said of Brown, adding, “He’s doing everything that we’re asking him to do.”
In the Rams’ Nov. 3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Brown and rookie linebacker Omar Speights combined to make the fourth-down stop in overtime that gave Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford the chance to win the game with a touchdown pass.
Brown, 6 feet 4 inches and 332 pounds, said he anticipated where Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was heading in his attempt to gain a yard.
“I was just trying to do my job, just be disruptive,” Brown said. “We had already had kind of a beat on what they were going to do. So…be aggressive and try to make a play, try to win the game.”
Brown, 24, is in the final year of his rookie contract. But he is younger than Turner and Fiske, and only three months older than Verse.
“The experience I learned at 20 and 21 is really rolling over and helping me now,” he said.
Rams’ NFC West win over Seattle shows vet leaders such as Cooper Kupp can’t be spared
SEATTLE — It was an NFL game so ugly you’d rather watch political ads.
Twenty penalties. Four interceptions. A blocked punt, blocked extra point and a star receiver ejected.
Odell Beckham Jr. could see expanded role for Dolphins vs. Rams
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey isn’t the only former Rams star playing for the Miami Dolphins.
Receiver Odell Beckham Jr., also a member of Rams 2021 team that won Super Bowl LVI, will play on Monday night at SoFi Stadium. And he could have an expanded role if Tyreek Hill does not play because of a wrist injury.
Beckham, 32, began the season on the physically unable to perform list because of a knee issue and has played in only four games. In last Sunday’s 30-27 defeat by the Buffalo Bills he caught three passes for 15 yards, his first receptions of the season.
“He is such a special player and such a talent,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “I think the thing I respect as much as anything is what an impressive human he is, and the things that he’s been able to overcome, whether it be some of the injury setbacks.”
In 2021, after the Cleveland Browns released him at midseason, the Rams signed Beckham, adding him to a receiver corps that included Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. But on the day Beckham signed his contract, Woods suffered a season-ending knee injury.
With interior offensive linemen Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila set to play against the Miami Dolphins, the Rams offense could have a new look a feel.
Beckham played in eight games and caught 27 passes, including five for touchdowns.
In the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals, Beckham caught two passes for 52 yards, including a touchdown, before he suffered another knee injury.
Beckham sat out the 2022 season and played for the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He caught four passes for 97 yards and a touchdown in a 37-31 victory over the Rams.
“You talk about a gifted, talented receiver, really smart and cerebral who can do so many different things,” McVay said, adding that Beckham’s charisma and ability to lift teammates set him apart. “He’s as fun and as aware as anybody that I have been around. He was a real joy to coach.”
Rams’ Puka Nacua says he won’t back down from physical play against Dolphins
The punch — the one that got Puka Nacua ejected against the Seattle Seahawks — is in the past, if not completely forgotten.
Nacua will no doubt hear from the NFL about a fine, but the Rams’ star receiver otherwise has moved on.
“I try to definitely put that one behind me,” Nacua said Friday after practice.
Rams punter Ethan Evans is expected to return against the Dolphins
Rams punter Ethan Evans is expected to return against the Miami Dolphins after sitting out against the Seattle Seahawks because of mononucleosis.
Evans, a second-year pro, said he felt ill the day before an Oct. 24 game against the Minnesota Vikings but pushed through and played. The next week, he practiced one day but afterward felt feverish and underwent tests that revealed a slightly enlarged spleen.
He was declared out against the Seahawks.
“We just had to take precautions just in case I do for some reason get hit in the right spot,” Evans said. “And if it ruptures, it’s pretty bad news.”
Ty Zentner punted eight times against the Seahawks, with one blocked.
Evans was cleared to return to practice, and is looking forward to playing against the Dolphins.
Last season, Evans punted 63 times and averaged 49.2 yards per kick. This season, he has punted 23 times, and is averaging 46.4 yards per kick.
“I improved a lot, just not outkicking my coverage this year,” he said. “I’m also really pleased with how my short-field punts have been.”
Only one punt has resulted in a touchback. Last season, seven rolled through the end zone.
“Last year, I was just like, ‘Man, I just want to hit a 70-yard bomb,’” he said. “But sometimes the most important kicks are the 30-yard, short-field, inside-the-10 punts.
“So, this offseason I just set my ego aside and was like, ‘OK, let’s put our team in the best position possible.’ And I feel like it’s paid off.”
Rams activate Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila ahead of Dolphins game
The Rams officially activated offensive linemen Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila from injured reserve to the active roster for Monday night’s game against the Miami Dolphins at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams also activated defensive lineman Jonah Williams to the roster from the practice squad, and waived offensive lineman Logan Bruss, the third-round pick in the 2022 draft.
Jackson and Avila suffered shoulder and knee injuries, respectively, in the season opener against the Detroit Lions. They practiced last week and coach Sean McVay said Saturday that he expected them to play against the Lions. McVay did not indicate whether they would play guard or center or if they would start.
Rookie Beaux Limmer has started the last seven games at center, and Justin Dedich has started three games at left guard.
Bruss, the Rams’ top pick in 2022 at No. 104 overall, suffered a season-ending knee injury during a preseason game his rookie year. He spent last season on the practice squad.
With Avila and Jackson sidelined, Bruss started three games this season. But he played only on special teams the last three games.
Rams vs. Miami Dolphins: How to watch, prediction and betting odds
The Rams, coming off an overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks, aim to increase their winning streak to four games.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford has passed for six touchdowns in the last two games, including the game-winner to receiver Demarcus Robinson at Seattle. Stafford has passed for 366 career touchdowns, and needs one to take over sole possession of 10th place on the NFL’s all-time list.
Stafford and coach Sean McVay hope star receiver Puka Nacua learned a lesson after getting ejected for punching a Seahawks player. If Nacua stays in the game, he combines with Robinson and Cooper Kupp to give Stafford an array of targets.