Pressure Point: Defense leads Dolphins over Rams on MNF, buoys hope

For the first time this season the Miami Dolphins punched above their weight —and won.

The gritty 23-15 win against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football came in the sort of setting where the Dolphins have a habit of losing.

On the road, in prime time, against a savvy, veteran quarterback.

In Miami’s most assertive and concerted effort of the season, the defense held Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ dangerous receiving corps without a touchdown.

Despite an up-and-down performance, Tua Tagovailoa and the offense were able to tack on enough points to avert another fourth-quarter collapse and end a three-game losing streak.

And what did it to for the now 3-6 Dolphins? It enables them to cling to the hope they can somehow rise from the deep hole they’ve dug for themselves and make an unlikely run for the playoffs.

That’s where these wayward Dolphins find themselves, clinging to hope like an iguana on the side of a tree on a steamy South Florida afternoon.

“Hopefully this is an opportunity for us to not waste,” Tagovailoa said. “Hopefully we can go on a run.”

Dolphins at 3-6 cling to hopes for the postseason like an iguana on a tree. (Craig Davis photo)

Dolphins schedule offers opportunity

Given the way defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s unit played and the upcoming schedule, there is actually a foundation to build hope.

Remarkably, the Dolphins find themselves only a game behind in the loss column for the final wild card in the AFC.

They face the 2-7 Raiders and 3-7 Patriots at home with a chance to be 5-6 before a Thanksgiving night date at Green Bay.

Buoyed by Jevon Holland, Zach Sieler and Kader Kohou returning from injuries and inspired by ageless Calais Campbell, Miami defenders harassed and frustrated Stafford all night.

They forced two takeaways, including an interception by linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. off a deflection by Campbell — the veteran defensive tackle leads the NFL with six batted passes this season, including two against the Rams.

They registered six hits on Stafford and sacked him four times. They had seven tackles for loss and held the Rams to 3-of-12 on third-down conversions.

YOU'VE BEEN CHOPPED! 🪓😤 pic.twitter.com/9ObeXFNBtN

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 12, 2024

Dolphins defense stymies Stafford

Keeping the Rams out of the end zone in LA is no small accomplishment. They were on a three-game winning streak during which they scored 76 points while Stafford threw for 730 yards and six touchdowns.

For a change it was the opponent making the sort of self-inflicted mistakes that have characterized the Dolphins season.

Notably, a high snap off Stafford’s hands derailed the opening drive of the second half and forced the Rams to try a 52-yard field goal. The kick went through but a false start negated it. Joshua Karty then missed the 57-yard attempt.

That was a pivotal moment as the Dolphins took over near midfield and drove 53 yards for a touchdown to push their lead to 17-6. That was the first traction by the Dolphins offense since they went 70 yards in five plays to open the game.

Stuff like this not encouraging to the Dolphins hoping & praying Tua will stop being reckless with how he puts his head down while delivering the blow.

He’s done a magnificent job avoiding helmet to ground contact when being taken down. But he’s still too aggressive. pic.twitter.com/Lqkyt3nRdv

— Chris Kouffman (@ckparrot) November 12, 2024

Tua overcomes his own mistakes

Tagovailoa had too many mistakes of his own. He threw an interception, then risked yet another concussion with a dangerous head-first tackle on the return by Christian Rozeboom.

Hey, Tua, be like Marino: Get the hell out of the way after you throw a pick.

He also lost a fumble and took two inexcusable sacks when he held the ball too long and couldn’t throw it away.

But after the second of those, which put the Dolphins in a third-and-19 hole, he quickly atoned by spinning away from another rush and finding Raheem Mostert for a 25-yard gain. That led to a field goal that pushed the lead to 20-9 with 9:07 remaining.

Instead of caving, as in recent weeks, the Dolphins finished strong with a touchdown and two field goals on their final three possessions.

The running game was ineffective (67 yards on 22 attempts) against a spirited Rams defense led by impressive rookie Jared Verse, the former FSU standout.

One of the best moments by the Dolphins’ offensive line was guard Liam Eichenberg annoying Bobby Brown into headbutting him and selling it to draw a personal foul. That led to one of three field goals by Jason Sanders (two of them from 50 yards).

This is easily Liam Eichenberg’s most elite trait as a football player. He consistently drives opposing DLs so crazy they get caught retaliating on him. It’s one of those weird things about his career.

He’s also very good at getting Dolphins fans to hate him, too. pic.twitter.com/NRCuFMKBFJ

— Chris Kouffman (@ckparrot) November 12, 2024

Calais Campbell inspires Dolphins defense

It was a departure from recent exasperating Dolphins viewing. For a change, it was the other team outdoing them in the stupid stuff department.

Nonetheless, the Dolphins’ lead never felt secure until Duke Riley fell on the Rams’ onside kick with 39 seconds remaining.

So despite all of their shortcomings, the Dolphins can still focus on what lies ahead instead of looking beyond to next year.

Here is the remainder of the schedule against teams that are a combined 30-49: Raiders – 2-7; Patriots – 3-7; at Packers – 6-3; Jets – 3-7; at Texans – 6-4; 49ers – 5-4; at Browns – 2-7; at Jets – 3-7.

“To start a wildfire, all you need is one spark, and that spark happened today,” said Campbell, the veteran defensive tackle who at 38 has been the surprise revelation of this season for Miami.
The former Miami Hurricane is not only a physical marvel but also a wise man.

He knows that where there’s life, there’s hope. Right now he has his teammates believing.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Anthony Walker with a huge interception! Dolphins take over!pic.twitter.com/V2aEsuvJc8

— IG: NFLPreme (@premefootball) November 12, 2024