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Dolphins 2020 Opponent Breakdown - Week 8: Los Angeles Rams

The Miami Dolphins will face in Week 8 at Los Angeles Rams team seemingly in rebuilding mode just two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance

Alain Poupart

As the Miami Dolphins continue to prepare for the 2020 regular season as best they can during this most unusual offseason, we will be dissecting their upcoming opponents.

The opponent for Week 8 will be the Los Angeles Rams, who will be coming to Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. ET.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

2019 Record: 9-7, third in NFC West (no playoffs)

Last Dolphins-Chargers Meeting: 2016 at Los Angeles Rams — Dolphins 14, Rams 10

This was one of the more improbable victories in the Dolphins' improbable run to the playoffs. After staying in Southern California for a full week following a victory at San Diego, the Dolphins were lifeless on offense for most of the game before they came alive in the final five minutes to snatch the victory. Trailing 10-0, the Dolphins finally got on the board with 4:02 left when Jarvis Landry scored on a 10-yard reception after he was in the middle of a pile that was pushed into the end zone thanks in large part to tackle Ja'Wuan James. After the defense forced a three-and-out, quarterback Ryan Tannehill guided a 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped by his 9-yard pass to DeVante Parker. Parker had three catches for 30 yards on the game-winning drive. The game marked the first NFL start for 2016 top overall Jared Goff, who was 17-of-31 for 134 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions and a passer rating of 65.8.

Season in Review:

A year after going to the Super Bowl, the Rams began the season 3-0 and appeared well on their way to avoid the usual Super Bowl loss hangover. But things started going south after a bizarre 55-40 home loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The offense and defense went through separate slumps, though both areas struggled in the low point of the season, a 45-6 Monday night home loss against the Baltimore Ravens. The midseason trade for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the one that sent fellow corner Marcus Peters to the Ravens proved a wash at best. Goff followed two Pro Bowl seasons with an inconsistent performance, though he wasn't helped by issues on the offensive line.

Key Veteran Additions: DT A'Shawn Robinson, LB Leonard Floyd

A'Shawn Robinson was signed to a two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent and will provide depth in the interior of the defensive line. He spent the past four seasons with the Detroit Lions. Leonard Floyd was a disappointment for the Chicago Bears after being the ninth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft and the Rams signed him after he was released. After recording seven sacks as a rookie, Floyd had only 11.5 the past three years combined.

Key Departures: RB Todd Gurley, WR Brandin Cooks, LB Dante Fowler Jr., S Eric Weddle, K Greg Zuerlein

The Rams went about addressing their salary-cap situation in the offeason, and that led to the release of Gurley, who has been productive but has a worrisome knee issue, and the trade of Cooks to the Houston Texans. Fowler revided his career with the Rams and was second on the team in sacks last season with 11.5, but he left as an unrestricted free agent. Weddle retired in the offseason after finishing second on the team in tackles in 2019. Zuerlein, who joined the Cowboys as a free agent, didn't have a great year in terms of accuracy (24-of-33), but he's got one of the biggest legs in the NFL. The Rams currently have three kickers with no NFL experience on their roster.

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Notable 2020 Draft Picks: RB Cam Akers, WR Van Jefferson, OLB Terrell Lewis

The Rams didn't have a first-round pick because it went to Jacksonville in the Ramsey trade, and they took Akers with their first pick in the second round. Akers broke Dalvin Cook's freshman rushing record at Florida State with 1,025 yards and had 1,144 last fall. With a second second-round pick, the Rams took University of Florida wide receiver Van Jefferson, the son of former Dolphins wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. Van Jefferson didn't have huge numbers in college (he played at Ole Miss before UF), but he's got good size and is a good route runner. Lewis battled injuries at Alabama (torn elbow ligament, torn ACL), but earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2019.

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Prognosis:

The Rams averaged 11 wins in the three years since Sean McVay took over as head coach, but they look a bit like a team at a crossroads. There's an awful lot of talent that went out the door in the offseason, and the replacements for the most part are rookies or unproven players. There still are some front-line players on the roster, starting with two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, but the Rams will have their hands full in an NFC West Division that boasts 2019 NFC champion San Francisco, perennial playoff team Seattle and up-and-coming Arizona.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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