The Miami Dolphins accomplished something Monday night they had failed to do under head coach Mike McDaniel, and it’s something that most definitely should justify their hope of making a playoff run and end the notion that they should give up on the season.
The Miami Dolphins defeated a good opponent in prime time — on the road.
The Dolphins went into their Monday night matchup against the L.A. Rams at SoFi Stadium with a 2-8 record in prime-time games under McDaniel, including a 1-4 mark on the road. The lone victory came in Week 2 of the 2023 season against the New England Patriots, who were on their way to a 4-13 finish.
In their first two prime-time appearances, the Dolphins had lost by 21 points (31-10 against the Buffalo Bills) and 19 points (31-12 against the Tennessee Titans).
So, yeah, the 23-15 victory against the Rams represented a pretty significant milestone for the Dolphins because the Rams, while certainly not a Super Bowl contender, did enter the game with a 4-4 record and a three-game winning streak — after being a playoff team last season.
THE IDEA OF A PLAYOFF PUSH
The victory ended the Dolphins’ three-game losing streak. While they still have a pretty bad-looking 3-6 record, it’s easy to see a path to the playoffs.
It starts with the fact the Dolphins are only one game behind the Denver Broncos in the loss column, and the Broncos currently hold the seventh spot in the AFC standings.
It’s not just about Denver, though, because the Dolphins will also have to beat out teams like Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and maybe — not really, but we’ll throw them in there just for fun — the New York Jets.
Per tankathon.com, the Dolphins have the third-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL with a combined opponent winning percentage of .395, trailing only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.368) and the Colts (.368).
The Colts have the tiebreaker advantage against the Dolphins because of their Week 7 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium. They have only one remaining opponent with a winning record, the Detroit Lions.
But the Colts have a quarterback issue with their Joe Flacco/Anthony Richardson situation, and they’re also on a three-game losing streak—to be fair, the losses came at Houston, Minnesota, and at home against the Bills.
The Dolphins have three games remaining against teams that currently have a winning record — at Green Bay, at Houston, and at home against San Francisco — and how they fare in those games ultimately could determine whether they can reach the postseason for a third consecutive year.
The Dolphins also will have to take care of opponents they should handle, starting Sunday with the Las Vegas Raiders.
But the Dolphins look a lot more like the team they were supposed to be in 2024, which happens when you go from sub-par backup quarterbacks back to your Pro Bowl starter.
The Dolphins lost their first two games with Tua Tagovailoa back at quarterback, but they played their two best games of the season, and it seemed like a matter of time before they would break through with a win.
That breakthrough came against the Rams, with a performance led by the Dolphins and featuring some clutch offensive plays down the stretch.
In short, it was the kind of total team effort — complementary football, if you want to call it that — the Dolphins hadn’t had this season.
It’s the kind of effort they’ll need in the remaining eight games if they are to complete what would be a remarkable turnaround to a playoff spot.
The margin for error remains very small, and the Dolphins aren’t known for finishing seasons strongly under McDaniel.
But they also weren’t known for being able to be a quality opponent in prime time, and that’s just what they did against the Rams.