The overall Pace 10 competition pits the Los Angeles Rams against the Miami Dolphins on “Monday Night Football.”
The Rams have taken three at a time since their bye year, with Matthew Stafford and company, of course, getting into a greater rhythm as the rest of the offense got closer to full fitness. They have jumped back into the NFC playoff picture, but they want to continue racking up wins to defend themselves at the same time.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, have lost three at a time since their bye, although only nine problems in total. They’ve gotten their own offense going a little more now that Tua Tagovailoa is back under center, but they haven’t started to look like the high-flying, explosive unit we’ve seen over the past few years. At 2-6, their season is at risk of going downhill, they usually want to turn it around quickly.
Can the Rams make it four in a row or will the Dolphins end their streak? We’ll find out pretty quickly. Before we finish the matchup, here’s a look at how you can watch the game.
Where to watch Rams vs. Dolphins
Life: Monday, November 11 | Future: 8:15 pm Eastern Time
Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
Channel: ESPN | Tide: fubo (distance attempt)
Practice: CBS Sports App
Odd: Rams -1.5; O/U 48.5 (using Caesars Sportsbook)
Check out the new Caesars promo code to enter the contest.
When the Dolphins have the ball
As of this writing, we still don’t know if Tyreek Hill will suit up for this competition. He’s listed as questionable with a bang on his wrist and is reportedly believed to be a “true” game-time pick, whatever that means. If he’s out…everything changes for Miami’s offense. The whole thing. He’s the center of gravity of what the Dolphins do, even with De’Von Achane taking on a bigger position within the passing competition this season.
The Rams have largely struggled with the move this month, even though they have been better in recent weeks than in previous ones. They made a very good move against the last year of Geno Smith and Co., for example. However, they don’t have anyone who can compete with Hill. Do you have anyone who can compete with Jaylen Waddle? It’s not true anymore! But when Hill is out, you’ll be able to generate so much defense in Waddle’s direction that you can almost force Tua Tagovailoa to come out anywhere else with the ball. Counting on players like Jonnu Smith, Odell Beckham, and Malik Washington to continue with the ball during the breeze is not up to par.
The Rams, on the other hand, were the NFL’s worst defense against passing to running backs, allowing 0.41 EPA per game, according to Tru Media. Wrestlers have completed 30 of 33 passes for 276 yards when diving backwards, and we all know Achane can turn any short move into an extended landing for those who don’t catch him on the grass right away. There will be an amount of leverage on Los Angeles’ linebackers and safeties to build the first dimension grab and not allow Achane anywhere near a full head of steam.
Miami’s running competition has been unusually useless this season, even in games in which Tagovailoa has been active. The Rams had necessarily been average in the league in terms of yards before and then in contact with elevation, through the use of Tru Media, but they have achieved excellent activity by limiting the explosive properties on the grass. Only 15 of his 247 carries have gained 12 yards or more, a rate of 6.1%, the fifth-lowest in the league. Again, this is notable against Achane (as well as Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright).
When the Rams have the ball
Over the past few weeks, of course, we’ve opened up the Rams’ real offense in action, thanks to the returns of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. With both players out, Matthew Stafford necessarily had to play his best football; or even that it was continually no longer enough. Bringing them back into the box simply opens up the entire field for the offense, and the effects were better, even in a tournament where Nacua was sent off early on and Demarcus Robinson had to step up in his park.
The Rams can also gain advantages on Monday by being healthier during the offensive series. His favorite team of five forwards has yet to set foot on the farm as a whole this season. That won’t happen Monday night either, but they’ll be a little closer to having it intact. The benefits to both Stafford and Kyren Williams’ coverage in the run game are monumental.
Miami’s defense has performed well this season, ranking 10th in EPA for plays against the play and 15th against the run, according to Tru Media. The defense at the back has been sticky, with contending teams finishing just 62.3% of their passes for an average of just 6.7 yards per contest. It will be interesting to see how the Dolphins make the decision to deploy Jalen Ramsey versus the Rams offense, and if he spends more weeks with Kupp or Nacua.
The Dolphins have generated strength at a relatively above-average rate, but have had trouble showing that strength in sacks, something that may be an issue against Stafford, who is one of the toughest players to control in the league. reach the grassland within the area. The Rams are also trying to get the ball out temporarily in the natural dropback contest, keeping the longer-developing stuff for when they’re running play-action concepts, so that could be a way to mitigate the increased force.
We’ll have to hope once again that, despite his protests, Sean McVay faces Kyren Williams and Kyren Williams alone in the backfield. That’s just what it does. However, Williams is averaging just 3.7 yards per lift this month, and looking to include him in the series again and again could put the Rams in states of sinful sickness and distance. Throwing to set up the race, rather than the alternative method, may be a preferable technique.
Prediction: Rams 23, Dolphins 17
Playing at home and getting closer to full fitness, the Rams are as you would expect coming into this competition, and will have to be able to follow through with a win. We’ve opened up what they look like when they have Stafford, Kupp and Nacua in the farmlands combined, and that’s what they’ll have tonight. In those states, it withers to make a bet against them.
Premium: Larry Hartstein, who is on a 44-27 streak in Rams video games, has placed his best possible bets for the Pace 10 matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Rams. Roberts is leaning down overall, but who is he backing to block? Find out right here on SportsLine.
