INGLEWOOD — This was supposed to be the week. After seven weeks of piecing together an offense, the Rams were fully replenished. Receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua came back two weeks ago; on Monday against the Miami Dolphins, offensive linemen Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson returned. Even with right tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle) sidelined, this was supposed to be the closest version to a fully functioning Rams offense.
Instead, in a 23-15 loss, we saw a dysfunctioning Rams offense that failed to score a touchdown for the first time since last November’s loss to the Packers in which quarterback Brett Rypien started in place of an injured Matthew Stafford.
Stafford was healthy against Miami (3-6), but it didn’t make a difference. The Rams (4-5) managed 327 yards, and 70 on the ground. They averaged 5.1 yards per passing attempt. They went 3-for-12 on third down and 0-for-3 in the red zone.
A 10-yard loss on a screen pass on their first play from scrimmage boded poorly for the Rams offense, which opened the game with two three-and-outs. The unit only managed 19 yards in the first quarter as the Rams were held scoreless in the first 15 minutes for the fifth time this season. They started the game 0-for-7 on third down with two sacks and a tipped-ball interception.
The Rams started three first-half drives at their own 49 or better field position. Those three possessions ended with a punt, a lost fumble and a field goal. The loose ball from running back Kyren Williams came one play after linebacker Christian Rozeboom intercepted Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
And that was the thing. Again, it was the Rams defense keeping the team in the game. After allowing a 70-yard touchdown drive to start the night, the Rams held the Dolphins to 41 yards in their next six possessions.
The young defensive front continued to be disruptive. On the possession following Williams’ fumble, Jared Verse stripped Tagovailoa and recovered the ball himself to give the Rams their best starting field position of the day, at the Dolphins’ 36. But Stafford overthrew tight end Davis Allen on third down, and the Rams had to trot out the field goal unit.
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And when the Rams finally got moving, they made mistakes to undo themselves. In their first eight drives, the Rams managed more than 20 yards just twice. Both of those drives were stopped by fumbles; one a strip-sack, the other a high snap from center Jonah Jackson, back off injured reserve for the first time since Week 2.
It wasn’t until halfway through the fourth quarter that the Rams finally reached an “and-goal” situation, and by that point, they were down by 12. And on third-and-goal, Stafford tried to force the ball into Demarcus Robinson, missing that Williams had slipped out of the backfield and was uncovered with a clear path to the end zone.
The Rams settled for a field goal, only to give one back up on defense on the ensuing drive as the Dolphins worked the clock below three minutes. Down 11 again, the Rams worked their way back to the red zone, only to allow Josh Karty to kick his fifth field goal and attempt an onside kick that Miami recovered without incident.