MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins, mired in a three-game losing streak and desperately searching for something positive amid their disappointing 2-6 start, venture to Los Angeles in hopes of a revival, a spark.
Players say their spirits remain high heading into their nationally-televised Monday night game against the Rams (4-4).
But their playoff hopes remain low.
And that’s what this is about at this point, igniting playoff hopes, breathing life, optimism and excitement into a season on life support.
The Dolphins, who started 8-3 and 9-3 the previous two seasons and had Super Bowl hopes for this season, would, for all practical purposes, be out of the playoff race with a loss Monday.
Granted, they’re probably not really out of the race until they get their ninth loss, which would ensure a losing record.
But to think the Dolphins could absorb a loss Monday and then win seven of their last eight games, finishing with nine wins, is pure folly.
The Dolphins badly need a victory against the Rams.
“I think we have that urgency, like we understand the situation,” left tackle Terron Armstead said.
Right tackle Austin Jackson will miss the game with a knee injury. Most likely veteran Kendall Lamm will start in his place. That could disrupt the unexpected success of the offensive line, which has cleared the way for the team’s five consecutive 100-yard rushing performances and kept quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (five touchdowns, three interceptions, 96.7 passer rating) upright since his return from a concussion.
The bigger problem with the offense, of course, is unlocking the deep passing combination of Tagovailoa to wide receivers Tyreek Hill (34 receptions, 446 yards, one touchdown) and Jaylen Waddle (28 receptions, 310 yards, one touchdown).
Defenses are playing two-deep safety schemes on the back end and press coverage on the front end. The combination has shut down Miami’s explosive plays.
Offensive coordinator Frank Smith said explosive plays aren’t a necessity.
“I think it’s about your overall efficiency as an offense,” he said. “So if you’re not having 40- and 20-(yard) massively explosive plays, then you’re looking at your overall efficiency of how you’re moving the football.”
That hasn’t gone well.
The Dolphins, who are 31st in scoring at 15.5 points per game, have scored 27 points in each of their past two games, losses that came on late field goals — 28-27 against Arizona, and 30-27 at Buffalo.
But clearly it hasn’t been enough.
Fumbles have been instrumental in both losses.
The Dolphins defense, which ranks No. 7 overall (303.1 yards allowed per game) and 17th in points allowed (23.4 points per game), gets a boost with the return of lineman Zach Sieler and nickel/slot cornerback Kader Kohou.
Its challenge remains eliminating the types of mental errors that allow big plays such as Buffalo’s 63-yard touchdown catch and run by running back Ray Davis last week.
“We’ve had some lapses there,” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said.
The Dolphins have longshot playoff hopes as things stand.
Lose to the Rams, however, and the season moves much closer to failure than success.
And it’s not even Thanksgiving.
The Dolphins will marshal all of their forces for this game.
Last week, for instance, the Dolphins offense reduced the shifts and pre-snap motion that used to be its calling card. Coaches discovered crowd noise on the road caused penalties and miscommunication.
Most likely they’ll again use Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey as a chess piece, snuffing out the Rams’ biggest threat in each particular situation according to down and distance.
Most likely they’ll again use their running game to (hopefully) set up the deep passing game, utilize the blitz to get a pass rush on Rams quarterback Matt Stafford (nine touchdowns, six interceptions, 88.6 passer rating), and hope that they’re sound in special teams.
These are the things that have brought the Dolphins to the brink of victory in recent weeks.
On Monday, they need those things to carry them across the threshold to a victory.
A loss, and their playoff hopes are pretty much done.
“We control our destiny,” edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah said. “The world’s watching now.
“You’ve got to go out there and prove that you can do it.”
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