The Los Angeles Rams failed to take advantage of a great opportunity to gain ground in the NFC West division race. The Rams and the Arizona Cardinals, the division’s top two teams, won three games in a row entering this weekend’s matchups.
The Cardinals beat the New York Jets on Sunday. The Rams needed to beat the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football to keep up with Arizona.
However, that would not happen as the Rams got off to a slow start and failed to convert on numerous opportunities agains the Dolphins. The Rams did not convert on any of their three trips to the red zone, and settled for field goals the entire game.
Los Angeles converted on five of their six field goals but failed to score a touchdown in a game they loss by a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
After three weeks of solid play, the Rams failed to match the Dolphins’ speed or intensity for most of the night. The Rams played catch up essentially the entire game, as Miami used time consuming drives ending with touchdowns to pull off the upset.
Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team recently released his weekly rankings of every team in the National Football League. After their disappointing home loss to the Dolphins, the Rams took a step back in the eyes of many, including Mosher.
“The Los Angeles Rams are impossible to predict because their offense can look great in certain weeks, but it was downright awful in Week 10,” Mosher said.
“It continued to make big-time mistakes that took points off the board, and it just couldn't stay out of its own way. With five losses on the season, the Rams are falling behind in the NFC West and don't have much of a shot at a wild-card berth. Things are getting dark early for the Rams.”
Mosher ranked the Rams as the 19th-best team in the league after their loss on Monday Night Football. This is three spots lower than where he ranked them last week after they had won their third game in a row.
The Rams looked a step behind essentially the whole night against the Dolphins from the first Dolphins’ first offensive drive.
If the Rams fail to make the playoffs, their loss to the Dolphins will be the game they point to as the catalyst. After battling back from a 1-4 start, the Rams let a winnable game slip through their fingers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as How Should We Rank the Rams After Lackluster MNF Loss? .