Monday Night Football will feature the Miami Dolphins back in primetime, where, frankly, they haven't been very good of late. Now, it's the Los Angeles Rams' turn to knock them out on national television. While we're talking about primetime performances, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is pretty good under the lights.
The Rams are an average football team. They can be good, and they can be bad, but overall, they are one of those teams that can hit at the right time. If the Dolphins play to their best, they may have a little more than the Rams can handle.
The Dolphins have a great chance to get a much-needed win to stay in the playoff race, and these three matchups could give the Rams nightmares.
Why Dolphins can dominate Rams on Monday Night Football in Week 10
Dolphins' wide receivers can hurt Rams' secondary deep downfield
There has been a blueprint laid out around the league outlining a way to stop the Dolphins' passing attack. The Rams will try to do the same, but their secondary may not be good enough to do so. Los Angeles has a bottom-10 pass defense and is allowing a passer rating of 98.5 to opposing quarterbacks, ranking 25th in the NFL.
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Los Angeles' starting three corners rank 59th, 150th, and 155th among cornerbacks in PFF's coverage grade. The Rams have no choice but to use rookie safety Kamren Kinchens to help deep, which will give Tyreek Hill an opportunity underneath if he is active.
The Rams will take away the Dolphins' quick-strike routes, but this could be a long day for the Rams' secondary.
Rams will struggle to contain the Dolphins' rushing attack
The Dolphins have rushed over 100 yards as a team in all but two games thus far in 2024, and the Rams are not going to stop it. Los Angeles' defense ranks 25th in rushing yards allowed per game.
Mike McDaniel has to attack the Rams with his rushing attack and then feed the ball to his receivers off of play-action. There is too much talent on the team for the Rams to cover everyone, and they are not that good.
Los Angeles will try to stack its linebackers to stop the run game, but Jonnu Smith is starting to play a bigger role within the offense. If the Rams stack the line, Smith will slide behind them and make it a long day.
Dolphins will be tough to stop if they build an early lead
The Rams' offense is inconsistent, but they have two great route-running wide receivers in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Their running game is average, but Kyren Williams is a capable three-down runner. The Rams' focus has to be beating the Dolphins' coverages, and they have to win what will likely be a high-scoring game.
While the Dolphins will put up points, the Rams can't let the game get out of control early. In fact, they need to find a way to put pressure on the Dolphins and force them to make mistakes while trying to keep up.
This game does not bode well for the Rams. They are good but not great. They can hit but are not stout defensively. They are inconsistent but well-coached. The Dolphins match up well in this matchup, and McDaniel can get a big win over Sean McVay.