NFL Preview: Dolphins at Rams

The Miami Dolphins (5-4) will head to Los Angeles to face the Rams (4-5) in Week 11.

The Who’s Who

The Fins are blazing hot right now after winning their last four games.  They managed to beat the Steelers, the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets, and the San Diego Chargers after a poor start to the season.  They look like a team that is finally comfortable together and trusts their quarterback.  QB Ryan Tannehill and the offense are making plays and getting downs when they need to.  The team has had multiple 27+ point games since they hopped on the “W” Express.

The Rams had a solid start to their season going 3-1.  The move to Los Angeles seemed to suit the team well.  All eyes were on the Rams waiting for them to falter and before long they did.  They lost the next four games before picking up a win against the Jets last weekend.  They have a change in their line up this week.  Head coach Jeff Fisher announced earlier this week he will start rookie quarterback and no. 1 draft pick Jared Goff.

Fins Up

The Dolphins have the tools to overpower the Rams’ offensive line.  The combination of Tannehill’s good play and the strong defensive line helped the Dolphins get the recent wins. And then there’s the breakout running back. Jay Ajayi needs only 275 yards to become the ninth player in Dolphins history to join the 1000-Yard Rushing club.  He made an impact in

weeks 6 & 7 rushing for more than 200 yards in both games.  He followed that up with 111 yards against the Jets last week, just over 20 yards more than his season average.  The former soccer star could joins the likes of Ricky Williams this week if he has an outstanding performance.

New City, Same Team?

The Rams made the move to Los Angeles, the land of glitz and glamour.  They started the season like a celeb moving from the D-List to being on the B-List (on a trial basis).  The 3-1 record to start made a lot of people in the sports world wonder how long it would last.  It wasn’t long before they went on a four-week bender losing to the Bills, Lions, Giants, and Panthers.  They finally managed to beat the Jets (3-7) in low-scoring game.  The 9-6 win over could be a momentum boost the team needs, or it could just be that a “mediocre” team beat a team that is now in “pretty bad” territory.

All eyes will be on rookie quarterback Jared Goff.  The announcement that he would be starting this week over Case Keenum was a surprise, especially to Keenum.  The win over the Jets was Keenum’s first since Oct. 2 that he didn’t throw an interception. Goff has a lot to prove. He could be the savior the Rams need to start winning again.

Final Thoughts

The last quarterback to be drafted first overall and win his first start was David Carr in 2002.  Will Goff change that this week?  Or will the Dolphins make it a five game win streak? Kick off is on FOX at 4:05 p.m.