Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins' defense put AFC on notice with win over Rams

The Miami Dolphins' hopes of winning will stay alive for at least another week, as they got by one of the harder teams they will face in the next three weeks.

It wasn't always pretty, and Miami had to overcome plenty of offensive mistakes. Still, the Dolphins' defense was nearly perfect, keeping the Rams' offense in check and relegated to field goals. Anthony Weaver's unit put in a statement performance on the road, sacking Matthew Stafford four times, intercepting him once, and holding the Rams to just 15 points.

The cross-country trip was the longest the Dolphins will take this year, and it was a huge game, as Miami has a slim chance of making the postseason but needed a win.

Miami opened the game with a touchdown before struggling to move the ball for much of the first half. While the offense took a bit to find a rhythm, the defense never let up with constant pressure on Stafford. While the offense wasn't perfect, Tagovailoa made several big-time throws to finish 20-of-28 for 207 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Dolphins can climb back into AFC playoff picture with favorable schedule ahead

Miami will now head home for games against the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots. Both games should be wins for the Dolphins, and if they do pull them out, they will be looking good heading into late November and December with a 5-6 record. There will still be work to do, and they must face the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Houston Texans on the road, but they have a shot.

In order for those games to matter, Miami had to win on Monday night, and it did. Mike McDaniel called a relatively conservative game, but he was able to find holes in the Rams' defense. It wasn't a perfect game, but Miami found ways to get the ball to its playmakers.

Tagovailoa didn't quite look like he did last week, and some of that was due to the pressure from the Rams. Miami's offensive line is a problem, particularly at the interior positions, but the offense overcame those shortcomings. The Dolphins didn't commit a lot of penalties, and there was only one pre-snap penalty in the entire game. That in and of itself is a big improvement.

The Dolphins made big plays on both sides of the ball. They have officially placed the AFC on notice.

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