What went right, what went wrong for Dolphins in Week 10 win over Rams

It shaped up as a battle between two teams headed in opposite directions. The 2-6 Miami Dolphins were riding a three-game losing streak for the second time this season, each of those setbacks by six points or less. In fact, Mike McDaniel's club has already lost as many games as they did a season ago.

Meanwhile, Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams had rebounded from a 1-4 start and had won three straight games.

The Rams were coming off a scintillating 26-20 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks on the road, and they appeared prime to make a run at the NFC West title.

What went wrong and right for the Miami Dolphins in their Week 10 win over the Los Angeles Rams?

What Went Right No. 1

Quick out of the gate

The Dolphins got off to a fast start on Monday night. They took the opening kickoff, marched 70 yards in five plays, and took a 7-0 lead with just 2:59 elapsed. The drive culminated with an 18-yard touchdown run by rookie wide receiver Malik Washington.

The march was highlighted by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's two connections with wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The plays covered 19 and 36 yards, respectively.

What was really also impressive was the start by Miami's defense. Anthony Weaver's aggressive unit limited the Rams to a combined minus-two total yards on Los Angeles' first two possessions, which included a sack of Matthew Stafford.

The next time McVay's club got the football, Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. picked off Stafford. Miami outgained the Rams 103-19 in the first quarter.

What Went Wrong No. 1

Holding onto the ball Tua long

Despite the fact that he finished the evening hitting on 20 of his 28 throws for 207 yards and a score, all was not ideal with Tagovailoa's performance. There was a bad misread in the second quarter that resulted in an interception by linebacker Christian Rozeboom.

Fortunately for the Dolphins, they got the ball back on the next play when Rams running back Kyren Williams fumbled and Kendall Fuller recovered.

On the next series, Miami had moved the ball to its own 48-yard-line. Tagovailoa held the ball for far too long and was sacked by Jared Verse. The latter also stripped the ball and grabbed it for Los Angeles, and it would lead to the Rams' first field goal of the night.

Tagovailoa had a solid evening, but three sacks added up to 36 total yards in losses. He needs to get rid of the ball faster and avoid those huge negative plays.

What Went Wrong No. 2

Too safe after a fast start?

McDaniel's team came up guns-a-blazin' but seemed to pull back a little after building a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes and 53 seconds of play. There were 108 total yards in amassing that double-digit edge, and early in the game, the Dolphins' offense seemed a little more willing to test the Rams' secondary deep.

However, that didn't last very long, and the game plan looked to be a little more like Miami was content with short passes and runs (which didn't amount to much). Perhaps that was a product of Tagovailoa hanging in the pocket too long, determined to make the big play, and when it was all said and done, not throwing the ball away when he needed to.

After gaining 377 and 373 total yards, respectively, in the prior two games, the Dolphins' attack finished the evening with 238 yards of offense on 53 plays (4.5 average).

What Went Right No. 2

The D-line and pass rush awakens

Anthony Weaver's defense has taken the field nine times this season, and the overall number says that this unit ranks 10th in the NFL in fewest total yards allowed per game.

The latest statistics also show that only the Atlanta Falcons (9) and Carolina Panthers (12)—who have each played 10 games—have totaled fewer sacks than the Dolphins (14). However, was Monday night’s impressive showing by Weaver's pass rush a sign of things to come? Miami's suddenly potent front seven was in Stafford's face much of the evening.

The Dolphins finished with a season-high four sacks. Veteran Calais Campbell had one of those QB traps and batted down two passes. Quinton Bell also got to Stafford once, while Da'Shawn Hand had three stops and forced Kyren Williams to fumble. The ball was recovered by Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller.

What Went Wrong No. 3

More second-half issues, but…

For the third consecutive game, Weaver's defense allowed 200-plus yards in the second half. Only this time around, this group managed to come up with numerous key stops and wound up keeping the Rams out of the end zone for the entire game.

In the home loss to Arizona, Miami allowed 278 total yards after intermission, surrendered 21 points (albeit 2 by a safety), and lost at the gun via a field goal, 28-27.

In Week 9 at Buffalo, it was a similar story. Josh Allen and company were limited to a pair of field goals in the first 30 minutes of play. The Bills responded with 207 yards of total offense and 24 points in the final two quarters and came away with a 30-27 win.

On Monday night, McVay's offense rolled up 221 total yards in the second half (133 in the 4th quarter) and settled for three field goals in the final 15 minutes.

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