5 reasons why the Rams lost 23-15 against Dolphins in Week 10 MNF showdown

The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams both made the postseason last year but have struggled to replicate their form in 2024. For Miami, the issue was with losing their starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, for multiple weeks due to concussion. His absence ground their offensive output to a halt but his welcome return provided no respite as they entered Week 10 with a 2-6 record.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles was 4-4 for the season, but they have had their own struggles. Missing Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua for extended stretches robbed Matthew Stafford of his primary weapons, but their return coincided with an uptick in form.

The Rams were playing at home in this matchup and a win would have taken them above 0.500. Instead, the Dolphins came and pulled off a heist to move themselves off the basement of the AFC East and into second place behind the Bills in their division. This is why they accomplished it.

5 reasons why the Rams lost against the Dolphins

#5. Rams left to rue absence of running game

For all the talk about running backs being obsolete creatures in the modern game, they remain paramount in any well-functioning offense. For all the quarterback passing stats, they depend heavily on other players gaining yards on the ground to have a chance of successfully throwing the football.

Matthew Stafford had 46 passes today and threw for nearly 300 yards but still came home with a loss because they could not get the run game going. Kyren Williams' numbers were not too shabby as he got 62 yards on 15 carries. The problem was that they got 70 total yards on the ground.

It made the game a passing marathon and it allowed the Dolphins' defense to settle into a rhythm and stop the Rams from scoring a single touchdown.

#4. Tua Tagovailoa's second-half display gets the Dolphins' offense humming

Tua Tagovailoa came into the game looking for his first win since he cleared the concussion protocol. Tough losses to the Cardinals and the Bills had left the Dolphins in a hole. He started well enough with a touchdown drive to begin the game but he then fell back into some bad habits in the first half.

He held on to the ball for too long in one instance and gave up a mammoth sack. He threw an interception that could have proved costly, not just for Miami, but for him personally as he tried to stop the return with his head. He then followed it up with a fumble that was recovered by the Rams.

However, Tagovailoa came out after halftime with his team leading by a score of 10-6 and gave a composed performance for the final two quarters. He threw a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill, much to the wide receivers' joy, and led his team to a scoring drive on every possession the visiting team had in the second half before their final kneel-downs in the victory formation.

#3. Matthew Stafford struggled against Miami's defense

Matthew Stafford struggled today against a well-organized Miami defense. He was not helped by the running game struggling but he will be disappointed that he did not throw a touchdown pass. The Rams struggled on third downs as well all night despite the quarterback completing 32-of-46 passes for 293 yards.

He was sacked four times for 36 yards and gave up a costly interception too. A missed touchdown completion with Kyren Williams wide-open was hard to believe.

Perhaps, nowhere was the failure more pronounced than looking at Demarcus Robinson's stats. The third wide receiver, who had two touchdowns apiece in his last two matches, had a single completion for 23 yards. Having Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp is great news for Los Angeles, but Matthew Stafford could not spread the passing game around.

#2. Sean McVay's baffling decisions delighted Mike McDaniel

One of the reasons why the Rams did not get going on their offense could be down to the plays Sean McVay was calling. The youngest-ever Super Bowl-winning coach looked out of sorts on the touchline today.

Perhaps his most egregious call was during the two-minute warning with Los Angeles trailing by 11 points. A missed pass stopped the clock on a third down with his offense parked near the endzone. He opted to go for a field goal despite being that being easier to score from a longer distance than a touchdown.

They were still going to be dependent on an onside kick, no matter what, and its failure made the point moot. However, Mike McDaniel was the better sideline manager tonight.

#1. Rams suffered from self-inflicted injuries

That Los Angeles ended up in that position was because of self-inflicted wounds. They made too many to count. When Christian Rozeboom intercepted Tua Tagovailoa in the first half, they would have hoped to make the Dolphins pay. Instead, Kyren Williams coughed up the ball on his next carry.

When they had a chance to make a 52-yard field goal in the first half, a false start dragged them back five more yards. Having made the initial attempt, kicker Joshua Karty missed the retake. If that had been successful, there would have been no need for an onside kick late in the fourth quarter.

Costly sacks, interceptions and missing open receivers at the wrong times stalled promising drives and all the mistakes accumulated to put the Rams too far back to mount a winning comeback.