4 players to blame for the Rams loss to the Dolphins in Week 10

The LA Rams winning streak has ended at three games. While the 2024 NFL season is not over, at least in terms of the team's postseason plans, the loss delivered a serious blow to the team. This was an ugly loss. What that means is that it was a preventable loss, a winnable game, a football game that could be the one that dictates the final outcome of the season.

This team spends a lot of money on offense. More than any other team in the NFL this season. But the Rams offense is not anywhere close to the best. In fact, the offense could not score a touchdown in Week 10. That is a tough pill to swallow considering the team fielded QB Matthew Stafford, WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, and had RB Kyren Williams handling the running.

Holding individual players' feet to the fire after a loss may not seem right to some fans. But we laud those players who contribute to wins. So why do we nod in approval when citing the players who helped the team to find success, but turn a blind eye to those whose errors contributed to the loss?

At least, these players has every opportunity to help prevent the loss, but failed to do so. So who gets called out on the team for failing to stop the team from self-destructing? Here are four players whose actions sunk the team faster than they could bail water.

(4) - RB Kyren Williams

On the surface, you may wonder why RB Kyren Williams appears on this list. After all, he hauled in five of six passes for 28 yards, and carried the football 15 times for 62 yards. While not eyebrow raising numbers, it was certainly not a horrible night. Ah, but there is more to this story.

After an interception by Rams ILB Christian Rozeboom with the team behind by a score of 10-0, the offense took the field with great field position. The Rams had first down and 10 yards to go at the Miami Dolphins 43-yard line. The Rams started the offensive series by handing off the football to Williams. It would be the only offensive play of this series.

After rushing four yards, Williams fumbled the football, and it was recovered by the Miami Dolphins. Imagine that. The Rams defense gets an interception, only for the offense to turn the football over on the very next play. It's these moments in the ebb and flow of the game's momentum that fans can miss. But if the Rams had converted the possession into a touchdown, the outcome of this game would have been much different.

But he fumbled, forcing the Rams defense back onto the football field.

(3) - WR Demarcus Robinson

You may think that I am picking on the offense, and looking over the list and comparing the players named to the game results, you are correct. If the offense is paid to score, then a lot of players on the offensive side of the football simply did not do enough or perform well enough to make that happen. One such player is wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.

The LA Rams had to know going into Week 10 that a key contributor for this contest had to be Robinson. The Miami Dolphins were guaranteed to use DB Jalen Ramsey in coverage against either WR Cooper Kupp and or Puka Nacus. That meant that the offense had to find ways to get Demarcus Robinson open, throw the football his way, and have him make the catches to move the chains.

Only, that's not what happened.

Robinson caught just one of five passes thrown his way. On one of the incompletions, either he or Matthew Stafford got their wires crossed, as it resulted in an interception at the Miami Dolphins 41-yard line. That turnover ultimately led to a Dolphins field goal, and allowed them to extend their lead over the Rams by a score of 10-0.

The Rams needed a big night from Demarcus Robinson and got one of his worst nights. Worst of all, because he has been one of the few players to score on offense, as the Rams entered the Red Zone, the secondary shifted their coverage to ensure that he would not put up a touchdown in Week 10.

And it worked.

(2) - OT Joe Noteboom

I don't envy the role of swing tackle Joe Noteboom. In any given week, he can suddenly find himself preparing to start in place of an injured Rams offensive lineman. In Week 10, that injured offensive lineman was right tackle Rob Havenstein. Sometimes,k Joe Noteboom steps into the role of temporary starter and does reasonably well.

This was not one of those occasions.

He looked lost and beaten on many plays. In pass protection he seemed a bit slow off his stance, slow in his ability to pivot, and slow in his ability to ride the pass rusher around the horn while protecting his quarterback. He was not the only offensive lineman who struggled. But with a veteran quarterback like Matthew Stafford, any pressure can cause injury and force this team to scramble. Noteboom did not show up as well as expected.

(1) - Jonah Jackson

Oh boy. Whoever decided to take out a very solid center in rookie Beaux Limmer, and replace him with Jonah Jackson at center, has to rethink whatever motivated that decision in the first place. Not only was Jackson less than effective at blocking, but the fundamental process of snapping the football seemed to be a gamble on every offensive play.

On one exchange, he snapped the football over Matthew Stafford's head, resulting in a 13-yard loss on the play.

Sure, the Rams front office signed Jonah Jackson to a lucrative three-year contract worth $51 million, but from what every Rams fan witnessed in Week 10, there is no way to convince anyone that he outplayed Limmer in practice this week. If he did, then the Rams coaching staff needs to revise their practice methodology.

To be honest, it was always bound to be a crap shoot this week, as the team swapped out three of the five starters on the offensive line. But fans had to believe that there was some vetting behind the decision, and not a payroll clerk naming the starter due to the higher payroll check.

In Week 9, the LA Rams offensive line did not allow a single quarterback sack. In Week 10, the newly reformed offensive line allowed four quarterback sacks. Not even the running game benefitted from the return of two starters.

Perhaps the Rams need to reinstall Beaux Limmer at center. And Jonah Jackson, much like Joe Noteboom in 2022, should be demoted to a swing interior offensive lineman who steps in for an injured teammate.

As always, thanks for reading.

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