THE Miami Dolphins saved their season… at least for now.

With a 23-15 road victory at Los Angeles Rams On Monday Night Football, Miami improved to 3-6 to stay alive in a tight AFC, although it still has a long way to go.

Miami opened the game with a sense of urgency and didn’t look back, while Los Angeles tried to catch up but lacked the quality to overcome the deficit. The result brought the Rams to under .500 at 4-5 after a three-game winning streak.

Let’s analyze the game with winners and losers in more detail:

WINNER: Dolphins Defense

Miami’s defense ranks highly in some key defensive statistical categories, primarily with its secondary. This played a role in the victory, as the unit kept Matthew Stafford in check with just 6.4 yards per throw for a total of 293 on 32 of 46 completions.

Los Angeles didn’t score a single touchdown, with Stafford also being sacked four times by four different Dolphins.

LOSER: Rams on third down

Building on the previous section, the Rams struggled to move the ball on third down, hurting their ability to maintain momentum.

Los Angeles converted on just 3 of 12 third-down opportunities, while it was the opposite for Miami, who moved the chains on 6 of 13 attempts.

WINNER: Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins

With the Dolphins’ running game lacking, it fell to Tagovailoa to deliver on his promises on several occasions. After an impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills Despite losing last time out, Tagovailoa maintained his form completing 20 of 28 passes for 207 yards, a touchdown and a pick.

When the Dolphins needed a play, Tagovailoa made it, whether it was to Tyreek Hill or not. Hill caught three passes for 16 yards and a score while playing with a torn ligament in his wrist. Odell Beckham Jr. also had a big first down, recording two total receptions on the night.

LOSER: games in progress

As mentioned above, the Dolphins were unable to put up consistent yards on the ground. De’Von Achane had 12 carries, but only mustered 37 yards, with a long of 15. Rookie Malik Washington had an 18-yard run to become the team’s second leading rusher.

Raheem Mostert didn’t get a start this night due to turnover issues, but played a role on special teams.

But the Rams weren’t much better, as Kyren Williams led the way with 62 yards on 15 carries. Los Angeles totaled 70 yards rushing compared to just 67 for Miami. Ultimately, Miami’s ability to turn drives into touchdowns made the difference.

WINNER: Kickers

With both offenses not getting the ball into the end zone as often, both kickers stepped up to put points on the scoreboard. Miami’s Jason Sanders made all three of his field goal attempts, including a long 50, to go with 2-of-2 extra point tries.

Joshua Karty was responsible for all of the Rams’ points, making 5 of 6 field goals, including a long of 55. His miss was from 57 yards out. The Rams have Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back, but their offense has fluctuated in terms of consistency that head coach Sean McVay needs to address if they want to make any noise in the NFC.