[Sport] Dolphins contain Rams on MNF in performance to 'build upon'

[Aronus]

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- On his first defensive snap in two weeks, Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler stuffed a screen pass to Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams for a 10-yard loss.

Sieler had missed Miami's previous two games with an orbital bone injury he suffered in practice in Week 8, but he returned for Monday night's 23-15 win over the surging Rams. The tackle for a loss ultimately led to a three-and-out Rams drive and helped set the tone defensively for the remainder of the night.

"[As] you go through the week, you are correcting some stuff from the previous game, and I think the guys felt a lot of confidence in terms of where they were building," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. "Then getting a couple key guys back ... Sieler is such an important part of what we do.

"So it was absolutely a momentum-capturing moment where guys were fired up to have one of the most important pieces of the unit back on the field to make plays immediately."

The Dolphins allowed 327 yards but held the Rams to five field goals Monday night -- Miami's first time this season keeping an opponent out of the end zone.

In a spectacular defensive effort, the Dolphins pressured Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on 15 of his 49 dropbacks and recorded a season-high four sacks, while also limiting their opponent to just three third-down conversions in 12 attempts.

"I think our defense really galvanized the whole team, and I think it's very, very difficult to keep that offense out of the end zone," McDaniel said. "I think that the jump-off point was third down. I thought that the coaching staff led by [defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver] did a great job with having a way to attack the guys, and I thought collectively it was the best execution of what we were trying to get done.

 

Dolphins contain Rams on MNF in performance to 'build upon' - ESPN