At the beginning of the season, this game may have not looked like one to mark down on your calendar as both teams finished in last place in their divisions. However, 2012 is a new year and six weeks in the Rams and Dolphins faced off just one game shy of leading their respective divisions.
The Rams had every chance to come away with a win here, but three missed field goals and several fumbles saw them unable to take full advantage of the periods of the game where they had the upper hand. They outgained the Dolphins by 270 yards and had nearly seven more minutes of time of possession. To compound these errors the Rams were also flagged for 12 penalties in this game and, in the end, simply couldn’t overcome their own errors.
Miami wasn’t exceptional as you may have gathered. Scoring 17 points with under 200 yards of offense is something of an achievement, and reflects well on a Dolphins team that can take advantage of what their opponents give them. Let's look at some of the key performances.
St. Louis – Three Performances of Note
Opposite Sides
He’s struggled at times this year in pass protection, but Barry Richardson (+2.9) had a fine outing despite starting most of his snaps staring at Cameron Wake. Although he had some occasional help from his backs and tight ends, Richardson only allowed one sack and one hit against our highest graded 4-3 defensive end to go with some good run blocking. Next to Richardson, Harvey Dahl was perfect in pass protection while Robert Turner’s perfect day in pass protection leaves him tied for 2nd among centers in our Pass Blocking Efficiency signature stat.
The grass wasn’t so green on the other side of the center however. Wayne Hunter (-3.7) put up a performance reminiscent of his 2011 form giving up three sacks and two hits. His back to back pressures on the Rams’ final plays allowed Sam Bradford to get sacked, forcing a longer field goal which Greg Zuerlein was unable to get on target in spite of having the necessary distance to kick the 66 yard attempt. Quinn Ojinnaka (-3.7), forced to start due to injuries along the offensive line, continues to look outmatched. He gave up three pressures for the fourth time in five games, and committed two penalties to boot. A mixed day indeed.
Questionable Coverage
After such a solid start to the year, it was disappointing to see Janoris Jenkins (-4.0) have such a rough time in coverage. He allowed all nine balls thrown his way to be completed, including a completely busted coverage (5:32 in the 2nd) where he allowed Marlon Moore to get behind him for a very easy touchdown. Jenkins got caught, as young corners often do, staring into the backfield and simply lost track of Marlon Moore allowing him past him before he had even turned. Add to that three missed tackles and a fumble on a punt return and you end up with a performance the rookie will want to forget, very quickly.
The Other Dimension
There may have been issues in coverage, but the Rams had little trouble shutting down the run. The Rams established their dominance early on, only allowing 3 yards on five carries at halftime, forcing the Dolphins to be one dimensional from very early on. Miami could only muster 33 rushing yards, 19 of which came on two plays. Jermelle Cudjo (+2.4 run defense) made the most of his seven snaps in run defense, getting the better of the right side of the Dolphins’ line. JoLonn Dunbar (+3.8) built off his impressive game against the Cardinals with some solid work against the run, not to mention a couple of sacks. After three straight grades in the red to start the season, Kendall Langford (+2.9) built upon his strong performance against Arizona with a fine start on his return to Miami as he made life difficult for John Jerry, beating him twice for stops in the run game and once for a pressure.
Miami – Three Performances of Note
Not the Usual Suspect
Against one of the weaker offensive line in the league, it would have surprised no one if Cameron Wake had a huge day. Wake (+1.0) was held to a season low three total pressures (one sack), although the infamous ‘Tuck Rule’ erased his strip sack from the books after an official review. Yet where Wake couldn’t capitalize, rookie Olivier Vernon (+5.4) picked up the slack. In on barely one third of the Dolphins’ defensive plays, Vernon victimized Wayne Hunter for two hits and two hurries. He made his presence felt in the run game as well where he beat the Rams’ tight ends on successive plays in the second quarter for a stop on both plays.
The third-rounder really came through in the clutch. With 42 seconds left and the Rams driving, he effortlessly shed Hunter’s block to get immediate pressure on Bradford. On the ensuing play, he escorted Hunter straight back into the pocket before casting him aside and collapsing on Bradford, forcing a 66 yard field goal attempt on 4th down. Look for Vernon’s playing time to increase dramatically if he can replicate this performance against better offensive lines.
No Room to Run
He’s looked much better since leaving New Orleans, but Reggie Bush (-1.0) couldn’t get much going against a stout St. Louis defense. He had just 17 yards to show for his 12 rushing attempts (though he had 44 more through the air). Met in the backfield on a large portion of his runs, Bush could only force one missed tackle and had to settle for 16 of his 17 yards comingafter contact. Center Mike Pouncey (+2.5) has been stellar all year, and this game was no different. Although he gave up a hit (just his second pressure all season), his run blocking was in fine form. Still, one man can’t block an entire defense, and Pouncey was let down by the play around him. Jonathan Martin, Richie Incognito and the aforementioned John Jerry frequently allowed the defensive line to redirect the runner and combined for a -4.7 grade with their run blocking. The trio didn’t help themselves out much by committing four penalties. Even Jake Long was flagged for a pair of penalties, on consecutive plays no less, which marred an otherwise good day from the perennial Pro Bowler.
Short but Sweet
It was nothing like his last two games, but Ryan Tannehill (+1.5) still found a way to get the win. Over the last two weeks, he made 23 throws that travelled at ten or more yards through the air- against the Rams, that was down to three as he never tried to force anything downfield. Tannehill only completed one pass for more than 15 yards (the 29 yard touchdown to Moore), yet still made good with a quarterback rating of 112.0.
With rookie quarterbacks, the biggest concern is often how they diagnose coverages and blitzes. Tannehill had no trouble with the latter. On the 14 times St. Louis blitzed the rookie signal caller, his QB rating accelerated to 130.6, and he completed 10 of 12 for 104 yards and a touchdown. Miami’s future opponents may want to take more care to disguise their blitzes to accomplish what the Rams could not, force Tannehill into turning the ball over.
Game Notes
– Quentin Mikell and JoLonn Dunbar caused five QB disruptions on their 15 combined rushes. The rest of the team tallied just six total pressures.
– Ryan Tannehill was sacked three times on the eight drop-backs that he faced pressure. When he did get the ball out of his hands though, he had a perfect QB rating of 158.3.
– Two weeks removed from a 253-yard receiving day, Brian Hartline was practically non-existent. His only contribution in the passing game was drawing the aforementioned defensive pass interference call from Bradley Fletcher.
PFF Game Ball
Olivier Vernon had an all-around good day, notching two sacks and two hurries despite playing only 26 snaps. His hit and sack on St. Louis’ last two offensive plays sealed the win by forcing a distant field goal attempt that sailed wide left.
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