INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams were handed a disappointing 23-15 loss by the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football at SoFi Stadium, marking a tough setback for the Rams, who now sit at 4-5 for the season. Kicker Joshua Karty was a standout for Los Angeles, accounting for all of the team’s points with five field goals, but his efforts weren’t enough to outshine Miami’s early momentum and strong finish.
Early Momentum for Miami
The Dolphins set the tone quickly, using just five plays on their opening drive to find the endzone. Wide receiver Malik Washington broke through on an 18-yard touchdown run, giving Miami an early 7-0 lead and putting pressure on the Rams’ offense to respond. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, their offense struggled to find any rhythm in the first quarter. Back-to-back three-and-outs on their first two possessions left them searching for solutions against Miami’s defense.
Rams’ First Scoring Opportunities Missed
As the Rams began their third drive, misfortune struck. Quarterback Matthew Stafford’s third-down pass was tipped and intercepted by Miami linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. Miami quickly capitalized on the turnover, extending their lead with a 50-yard field goal early in the second quarter, making it 10-0.
However, the Rams got a glimmer of hope when linebacker Christian Rozeboom intercepted Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa with 10:18 remaining in the half, returning the ball to the Dolphins’ 14-yard line. An illegal blindside block penalty pushed the Rams back to the 43-yard line, and, on the very next play, they fumbled, handing the possession back to Miami.
Defense Keeps the Rams in the Game
In response to the turnover, the Rams’ defense managed to gain back some ground. Four plays later, defensive standout Verse forced and recovered a fumble by sacking Tagovailoa on third down. This crucial defensive play placed Los Angeles in a favorable field position at Miami’s 36-yard line. The Rams inched closer to scoring but ultimately settled for a 34-yard field goal by Karty, finally putting points on the board at 10-3 with just under six minutes left in the first quarter.
Near halftime, Karty drilled a 55-yard field goal, his career-long, to cut Miami’s lead to 10-6. This gave Los Angeles a much-needed boost going into halftime, hoping they could capitalize on this momentum after the break.
Second Half Struggles and Missed Chances
The Rams began the second half with a promising drive, but it was derailed by a high snap and later a false start, which wiped out what would have been a successful 52-yard field goal by Karty. His subsequent 57-yard attempt went wide right, keeping Miami’s lead intact at 10-6 midway through the third quarter. Miami quickly took advantage, as Tagovailoa connected with wide receiver Tyreek Hill for a 1-yard touchdown pass, extending the Dolphins’ lead to 17-6 late in the third.
Karty’s accuracy remained a bright spot for Los Angeles. Early in the fourth quarter, he hit a 53-yard field goal, bringing the Rams within one possession. However, Miami responded immediately, capitalizing on an unnecessary roughness penalty that advanced them to their 45-yard line. Despite a strong defensive effort from Los Angeles, Miami’s kicker Jason Sanders converted a 37-yard field goal, pushing Miami’s lead to 20-9.
Late Effort Falls Short
With time running out, the Rams reached Miami’s 4-yard line but could unable punch it in for a touchdown, settling for a 22-yard field goal from Karty to cut the lead to 20-12. However, Miami continued to press, with Sanders converting a 50-yard field goal to extend the Dolphins’ advantage to 23-12 with less than three minutes left.
The Rams’ final drive reached Miami’s red zone, but once again, they couldn’t break through Miami’s defense, and Karty’s fifth field goal of the night – this time from 31 yards – cut the lead to 23-15. With just 38 seconds left, the Rams attempted an onside kick but were unsuccessful, allowing Miami to kneel out the clock and seal the victory.
Final Takeaways
Despite Karty’s perfect performance, scoring all of the Rams’ points, Los Angeles struggled to sustain offensive drives and capitalize on Miami’s mistakes. The loss highlighted defensive resilience and offensive inconsistency, which they’ll need to address moving forward.
Los Angeles now falls to 4-5, while Miami, improving to 3-6, showed their potential for growth as the season progresses.