The fish were nearly fried, but the 2024 Miami Dolphins live to swim another day.
In what was an ugly “Monday Night Football” game, both offenses were stuck in the mud most of the night as Miami leaves the City of Angels victorious by a score of 23-15. The party continues in South Beach for another week, as the Dolphins improve their record to 3-6. It’s still a long road back to a playoff spot for Mike McDaniel’s team, but the light is a little brighter than it was before this game kicked off.
The Dolphins defense dominated from start to finish, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle flashed on offense for the first time in a long time and everyone in teal goes home happy. With a favorable schedule over the next couple of weeks, there’s a chance for these Dolphins to get back into the playoff race.
However, the home team won’t be singing the same tune. The Los Angeles Rams looked unprepared and outmatched all night long. It’s a brutal loss at home for a team residing in the highly competitive NFC, especially when everything was looking up for Los Angeles. Sean McVay’s club routinely shot themselves in the foot all night long and their suddenly healthy offensive line was more of a problem than anything else. They were disjointed and plagued by Matthew Stafford’s poor play all night.
If it wasn’t for the rookie Joshua Karty, the final score would look a lot less respectable. The kicker was 5-of-6 on field goal attempts, with his only miss coming from 57 yards out. While L.A.’s chance of reaching the postseason took a major hit, Miami will have to hope that their team is getting healthy at the right time as they try to pen a Hollywood story of their own.
NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: Dolphins, Rams headed in opposite directions
DO YOU LIKE FOOTBALL? Then you’ll enjoy getting our NFL newsletter delivered to your inbox
Nick Brinkerhoff
The Rams’ onside kick attempt ends in the typical unsuccessful fashion and the Dolphins will head back home with a big win as they try to save their season.
The Dolphins (3-6) have a battle with the Raiders up next in South Beach, while the Rams (4-5) have a cross-country trip of their own, heading to New England to take on the Patriots in Week 11.
Nick Brinkerhoff
In a not-so-shocking turn of events, Joshua Karty adds his fifth field goal of the night to cut the Miami lead to eight, one more time. The Rams kicked the field goal on third down, but only have one timeout left and are in need of an onside kick to keep their hopes alive.
Nick Brinkerhoff
With just 2:38 to go, Jason Sanders has essentially put this game away with a 50-yard field goal.
Miami leads 23-12 and the Rams’ offensive struggles will be the story on this night.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Joshua Karty has been the Rams unsung hero tonight. He was drafted by the Rams in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft and was the No. 209 overall selection. The rookie out of Stanford has shown off his big leg and has been a steady player on special teams all year.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Remember the name! Joshua Karty is getting a game ball if L.A. can pull this off, as he knocks one through from 22 yards out. It’s the rookie’s fourth field goal of the night and the Rams are down one possession once again. The Rams offense will want to throw the tape out after this poor showing.
Nick Brinkerhoff
It’s not the prettiest football you’ll ever see, but it’s honest work. The Dolphins nearly fell out of field goal range after Tua Tagovailoa took a brutal sack, but a 25-yard catch-and-run by Raheem Mostert was enough to pick up a first down. The drive stalled from there as Miami settled for a 37-yard field goal from Jason Sanders to make it a two-possession game once again.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Stop us if you’ve hear this before, but the Rams stalled out once again. Matthew Stafford takes a brutal sack that nearly knocks them out of field goal range. However, the Rams are saved by Joshua Karty, who is certainly earning his paycheck tonight. This time he’s good from 53 yards to make it a one possession game. That leg will need plenty of ice after the workout it’s getting tonight.
Nick Brinkerhoff
The Rams have been awful on third down, but a casual one-handed catch from Cooper Kupp was enough to give them their first conversion of the night. He makes it look easy as the Rams pick up 17 to move the sticks.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Kendall Fuller left on the Rams’ first drive of the second half after making a tackle on a Kyren Williams run. The hit appeared mostly harmless, but the cornerback managed to sustain a head injury on the play, knocking him out for the game. He is in concussion protocol, per the team.
Nick Brinkerhoff
After the Rams’ comedy of errors, the Dolphins capitalize by marching down the field in just six plays for the touchdown. They go 53 yards in 3:39 with the big play coming from Jonnu Smith on a 33-yard catch-and-run. Tua Tagovailoa then finds Tyreek Hill for the touchdown, his first since Week 1.
Nick Brinkerhoff
The Rams were off to a promising start in the second half, but the drive is derailed by a high snap. Matthew Stafford fell on the ball for a big loss and L.A. was set to try a 52-yard field goal before a penalty backed them up. Joshua Karty had the leg, but not the accuracy as he pushes it wide from 57 yards out.
Sean McVay wanted his team to stop shooting itself in the foot. That message appears to be arriving via carrier pigeon and should arrive in a few business days.
Nick Brinkerhoff
An ugly offensive half for both sides comes to an end with Joshua Karty knocking through a career-long 55-yard field goal as time expires.
Matthew Stafford nearly turned it over again just two plays prior, forcing the Rams to burn their final timeout. It keeps L.A. out of the end zone, but disaster was avoided for a team that desperately needs to regroup.
The two-minute drill could be the thing that settles them down, as the defenses have dominated the action thus far. It’ll be the Rams’ ball to start the second half.
Nick Brinkerhoff
It took a while and plenty of turnovers, but the Rams finally have scored some points.
The drive had a disappointing outcome after starting with great field position, but they’ll walk away with three points thanks to a 34-yard field goal from Joshua Karty.
Los Angeles is still struggling to gain any traction on offense, but maybe the Karty points have broken the ice.
Nick Brinkerhoff
If you were hoping for some good fundamental football from these two professional teams, this isn’t your game. The last three drives have now all ended with turnovers as each team tries to figure out which one wants to lose more.
Jared Verse gets home for the sack of Tua Tagovailoa, forcing a fumble and then recovering it to set the Rams up for points again. Last time, they elected to give the ball right back to Miami. Let’s see what they do this time.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Well, that didn’t take long. Kyren Williams coughs it up, giving the Dolphins a mulligan after the bad decision from Tagovailoa. A wasted opportunity as the Rams continue to spin their tires in the early going.
Nick Brinkerhoff
The Rams get the defensive turnover they need as Christian Rozeboom picks off Tua Tagovailoa to set Los Angeles up in scoring position. Tagovailoa notably went in head first on a tackle, which isn’t wise considering his injury history. Now we’ll see what the Rams can do with this gift.
Nick Brinkerhoff
It’s been a tough season for Jaylen Waddle, who is used to putting up big numbers.
The first quarter showcased the return of the explosive Waddle, who posted two catches for 55 yards. That is already his best performance, on paper, since he finished with 109 yards in Week 1. It’s also the first time he’s eclipsed 50 yards since the opener and is more than the last three games combined. Perhaps that is a good sign for Miami’s offense going forward.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Miami takes advantage of the Matthew Stafford interception and adds three points courtesy of Jason Sanders. It’s a routine 50-yarder for the kicker, but the Dolphins will be left to wonder what could’ve been if Jaylen Waddle didn’t drop a pass that would have gone for a first down.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Miami got off to a hot start and it felt like we were in for a shootout in Hollywood. Instead, that never carried over as the teams traded bad drives for the remainder of the quarter. It was particularly ugly for Los Angeles, which couldn’t even muster up 20 yards of offense over the first 15 minutes.
Nick Brinkerhoff
The pace has slowed and the offenses are looking fairly ugly at the moment.
Now a bad start for the Rams gets even worse, as Matthew Stafford is picked off by Anthony Walker Jr. after the ball was tipped by Calais Campbell.
The struggles continue for Los Angeles as we near the end of the first quarter.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Fear not, football fans. Your TV guide is not broken. There is no “ManningCast” for tonight’s game. The Peyton and Eli Manning-hosted show will return next week, so Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are your only option for this Week 10 clash.
The “ManningCast” will return in Week 11 for the matchup between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Rookie receiver Malik Washington turned on the burners on the Dolphins’ opening drive, showcasing his speed. That’s the name of the game for Miami. Washington ran a 4.47 unofficial 40-yard time at the NFL scouting combine, but is still firmly behind his fellow receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, in terms of pure speed.
Nick Brinkerhoff
The Dolphins have come out hot to start this one. Following the statement on offense, the defense had a statement of their own to make. Zach Sieler had the big play on this drive, dropping Kyren Williams for a 10-yard loss on Matthew Stafford’s first pass of the game. The Rams found themselves behind the sticks and now Miami has a chance to extend their lead following a punt.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Nothing has looked easy for the Dolphins in 2024, until that game-opening drive.
Miami received the opening kick and promptly marched down the field to the tune of five plays and 70 yards in just under three minutes, including a big 36-yard gain on a third-and-13 play to extend the drive.
Malik Washington capped it off with an 18-yard rushing touchdown on the end around, the first of his career.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Odell Beckham, Jr. is back at SoFi Stadium. The well-traveled receiver famously won a Super Bowl with the Rams at the conclusion of the 2021 season and tore his ACL in that season finale. While the confetti rained down, Beckham was sidelined after coming down with two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. He would go on to miss the 2022 season and consider retirement before giving his career another shot with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
Beckham turned in a fine season, but shined in a revenge game against the Rams in what turned out to be one of the best performances he had all year. He finished with four catches on 10 targets, 97 receiving yards and a touchdown on a rainy Baltimore day. Weather won’t be an issue tonight and there aren’t many people that love a narrative more than Beckham. In his return to SoFi Stadium, he profiles as a player to watch.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Tyreek Hill is active for the Dolphins.
He told ESPN’s Lisa Salters that he’s dealing with a torn ligament in his wrist, but that isn’t keeping the speedy receiver out of game action. He’ll play through it in a very important game for Miami.
Nick Brinkerhoff
Many teams across the league have targeted the 49ers’ and Rams’ coaching staffs over the years, aiming to have even just a piece of their success. Tonight’s matchup affords us the opportunity to see how far some of those assistants fall from the tree. The Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel, a Kyle Shanahan disciple, gets his chance at facing off against the Rams’ Sean McVay.
The Shanahan vs. McVay games have been fairly entertaining over the years. While these high-powered offenses haven’t entirely lived up to the hype in 2024, there’s always a chance for fireworks when these coaches meet. We’ll get to see whether McDaniel can live up to the hype under the lights.
Nick Brinkerhoff
According to ESPN’s playoff predictor, Miami comes into tonight with just an 8% chance of reaching the postseason. If you’re a believer in the Dolphins’ ability to turn it around, BetMGM lists the Phins at +500 to make the playoffs and -700 to watch them unfold at home like the rest of us.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who had been listed as questionable with a wrist injury, will play Monday night against the Rams.
Dolphins’ inactive players:
Starting offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (ankle) had been ruled out in advance of Monday night’s game.
Rams’ inactive players:
Ayrton Ostly
Stafford signed a four-year extension with the Rams after winning Super Bowl 56. Here’s the terms of that extension, per Spotrac figures:
Jack McKessy
The Dolphins quarterback returned from the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career this year, casting some questions as to whether or not he should hang up the cleats.
Jack McKessy
In July of this year, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins agreed to terms on a four-year, $212.4 million extension for the quarterback, including $167.1 million guaranteed.
The deal’s $53.1 million average annual value is the fifth-highest in the NFL. It’s $100,000 per year more than Jared Goff’s extension with the Lions and just below Joe Burrow, Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence’s $55 million per year deals with their respective teams.
Its guaranteed money is the ninth-highest value among current quarterback contracts.
Here’s how the first round of the 2025 NFL draft stacks up entering “Monday Night Football:”
The 90th NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting will be held April 24-26, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This will be the first time that “Titletown” hosts the NFL draft.
Across all metrics, the top-10 highest paid players in the NFL are all quarterbacks. Here’s how the breakdown looks by AAV, guarantees, and total contract value this season.
AAV
Guaranteed money
Total contract value
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the highest-paid non-quarterback by AAV at $35 million per year and San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the highest-paid non-quarterback by total value at $170 million
Temperatures in the Inglewood, California, area should hover around the high 50s around kickoff. There’s a 20% chance of rain in the area, but that shouldn’t pose an issue for the roofed stadium.
That said, while SoFi Stadium has a roof it is an open-air venue, meaning there’s still a slight chance that lightning may delay the game, as has happened in the past.
The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six.
Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups.
The Rams have two Super Bowl victories: Super Bowl 34 (1999) and Super Bowl 56 (2021). The Dolphins are searching for their first Super Bowl victory since the 1973 season.
NFL franchises with most Super Bowl wins:
➤ Super Bowl winners: All-time scores, results for NFL title game
Just four players in 2024 NFL player pool surpass 40 years old: Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Bears tight end Marcedes Lewis, Rams kicker Matt Prater and Titans kicker Nick Folk.
Only Rodgers will turn 41 during the season, with a birthday coming the first week in December.
Here’s the full list of the top 11 oldest players in football:
We have a complete list at every position:
The NFL’s top 18 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the league’s highest-paid player before the 2024 season, agreeing to a four-year, $240 million deal.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is the first non-quarterback on the highest-paid list after striking a four-year, $140 million contract extension this offseason.
Do you like football? Then you’ll enjoy getting our NFL newsletter delivered to your inbox. 📲
Get the latest news, expert analysis, game insights and the must-see moments from the NFL conveniently delivered to your email inbox. Sign up now!
Check out the latest edition …
➤ Best (and worst) from NFL Week 10: Blow up the Cowboys (and their stadium?)
Joe Rivera
The Rams are favorites to defeat the Dolphins, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with “Thursday Night Football” odds and “Sunday Night Football” odds.
New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.
FEELING LUCKY? Here are the best parlay bets and odds for NFL games this week
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Rams vs. Dolphins “Week 10” matchup will sway:
ESPN again is the broadcast home of “Monday Night Football.” The longtime team of Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (color) will be on the call, with Lisa Salters adding reports from the sideline.
There will be no “ManningCast” for tonight’s broadcast.
The Week 10 “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Rams and Dolphins will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT).
The Dolphins head to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California for the tilt.
