All Dolphins

Dolphins Handle Rams: The Five Biggest Plays

Breaking down the five plays that most helped decide the outcome in the Dolphins' 28-17 victory against the Los Angeles Rams

Alain Poupart

The Miami Dolphins improved their record on the season to 4-3 with a 28-17 victory against the Los Angeles Rams at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 8, and we break down the five biggest plays of the game.

1. Andrew Van Ginkel's touchdown: This easily was the biggest play of the game. Emmanuel Ogbah took advantage of the fact that the Rams decided to leave him unblocked, then took advantage of the fact that Jared Goff just kept staring to his left and then delivered a crushing hit that caused a fumble. So just when it looked like the Rams were about the take the lead with a second-and-goal from the 9 in a 7-7 game, bam, the Dolphins led 14-7 after Van Ginkel recovered the fumble 78 yards.

2. Jakeem Grant's punt return: The Dolphins defense followed Van Ginkel's touchdown by forcing a three-and-out and Grant then did his thing with the first punt return for a touchdown in the NFL this season. It was stunning for the Rams, but more so because it came so quickly after AVG's touchdown. In the span of a little more than a minute, the Rams went from being on the verge of taking the lead to being down 21-7.

3. Christian Wilkins' interception: That play, more than any other, set the tone for the kind of defensive dominance the Dolphins would show. And it was a great example of brilliant disguise because Goff never expected Wilkins to drop back into coverage at the line and yet there he was right in the lane of the intended receiver. The turnover gave the Dolphins a lift they needed after a bad start.

4. Tua's TD pass to DeVante Parker: That clearly was the highlight for Tua Tagovailoa, and maybe it was more special because it came on a third-and-3. The Dolphins would have had a first down regardless because a flag was thrown for defensive pass interference, but it obviously was more special to see this Tua milestone. Kudos for him on a nice throw and even bigger kudos to Parker for making a tough catch when he was hit before the ball even got to him.

5. Shaq Lawson's sack and strip: The Dolphins completed their first-half defensive barrage when Shaq Lawson got another blindside hit on Goff to force another fumble. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy was right there to pick up the loose and returned it 28 yards to the 1-yard line. Myles Gaskin went in on the next play and the Dolphins had a 28-7 lead, which would prove insurmountable on this day. Lawson got the sack by simply running right around tight end Gerald Everett, who clearly was overmatched for this one-on-one battle.

Published
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.

Home/News