This time it would be their kicker who cost them the game. The Miami Dolphins finally had luck (and wind) on their side on Sunday as they beat the St. Louis Rams 17-14. Rams rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein missed three field goals, the most important being a 66-yard attempt as time expired that would have sent the game into overtime.
Dolphins rookie QB Ryan Tannehill threw for 185 yards, completing 21 of 29 attempts and 2 TDs. This was Tannehill's first career game with 2 or more passing TDs.
Surprisingly, the Rams dominated the running game on both sides of the ball. Miami only ran for 19 yards, while St. Louis ran for 162. The Rams actually dominated the Dolphins in practically every statistical category except for turnovers and touchdowns. St. Louis had 462 yards of combined offense. Miami only had 192.
Miami's defense gave up a lot of yards, but they were consistently able to hold the Rams to field goals. St. Louis' lone touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a sneak by Rams QB Sam Bradford a half-inch away from the goal line, and even then the Dolphins almost stopped him.
This game had an interesting little side story to it. Jeff Fisher, Head Coach of the Rams, was courted by both the Dolphins and Rams this offseason for their head coach positions. Fisher ended up choosing St. Louis, which makes this victory even more satisfying.
Stay tuned. We've got some good content coming at you this week.
Thanks for stopping by. Email me at paul@dolphinshout.com. I'm on twitter @PaulDSmythe.
