There are two things Dolphins fans can count on with defensive tackle Calais Campbell. He's going to provide a consistent 60 minutes of football every week, and he'll drop some bars to describe it after the fact.
"To create a wildfire, it only takes one spark," the 16-year vet said Monday after Miami's 23-15 win in Los Angeles. The Dolphins were on the precipice of wins over good football teams each of the last two weeks, coming up just short on the final play. With a complementary game script, Miami never let the Rams have that opportunity as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ended the game in victory formation. Now, the Dolphins get some home cooking with back-to-back matchups with the Raiders and Patriots on tap.
These are the three takeaways from Miami's primetime win in Los Angeles.
1. Best When The Lights Are Brightest
It's fitting that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa saved his best for the biggest moments in this game. The Dolphins went 6-of-13 on third downs with each conversion coming via the pass. The average distance to gain on the six-pack of conversions was 9.83 yards, including one of the most important plays of the game when the southpaw wheeled out of immediate pressure on third-and-19 before finding running back Raheem Mostert for a gain of 25.
It was Tagovailoa's creativity again on a third-and-6 on the game-clinching drive that moved the chains and put Miami on schedule for points. Chased to his left, Tagovailoa found wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for 11 yards on third-and-6 from the Miami 34-yard-line with five minutes remaining. With another 24 yards, and a third field goal from kicker Jason Sanders, the Dolphins scored on all three second-half possessions, extending the lead to two scores each time.
Tagovailoa completed five-of-six passes for 79 yards when throwing on the move, per Next Gen Stats. He also completed eight-of-nine throws when forced outside of the pocket for 88 yards.
2. Defensive Dimmer
Dolphins-Rams from Los Angeles. All the stars on display. It was the perfect setting for primetime. And while the Dolphins offensive stars shined bright, the defense turned the lights down with another suffocating performance.
Holding the Rams without a third down conversion until the 4:34 mark of the third quarter, and their only conversion on their first 10 attempts, Miami made life tough on one of the NFL's hottest offenses. According to Next Gen Stats, Miami registered 17 pressures on L.A. quarterback Matthew Stafford en route to holding him and his high-powered crew out of the end zone. This occurred on a night where the Rams had their best from a medical standpoint with 10 of their 11 opening day starters in the lineup.
Miami welcomed defensive tackle Zach Sieler back into the fold and, as he is one to do, he made an impact right away. He backed the Rams up 10 yards on their second play of the game with a tackle for loss. Sieler and fellow defensive tackle Calais Campbell combined for three passes defensed, one of which deflected into the waiting arms of linebacker Anthony Walker Jr.
Miami also picked up four sacks on the night, including the second in as many games for rookie outside linebacker Chop Robinson. He produced a career-best six QB pressures and now has at least three pressures in four of his last five games.
3. Our Brand of Football
"My hope is real is because the football that I'm watching and detailing is improving, and I think the team is focused on trying to have a game where they feel like their brand of football was mastered."
Those were the words of Head Coach Mike McDaniel last week following the loss to Buffalo. Despite a 1-2 mark over the last three weeks, it's evident that this is a Miami team trending in the right direction. It could easily be argued if one play goes differently in the Arizona and Buffalo games, we'd be talking about an impressive three-game streak against high-quality teams.
For more analysis, takeaways and breakdowns, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
