The Dolphins and Rams may have altered their seasons on Monday.
Miami snapped a three-game losing streak, while Los Angeles' three-game winning streak ended in the Dolphins' 23-15 win.
Here are five takeaways from the final game of Week 10.
Dolphins alive for playoff berth in weak AFC
Miami (3-6) kept its dim playoff hopes alive with its first win since Oct. 6.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, in his third game back since a four-game stint on injured reserve due to a concussion, had two big pass plays to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on the opening drive, and he found wide receiver Tyreek Hill for his second receiving touchdown of the season in the third.
The Dolphins are only a game behind the Broncos (5-5) in the loss column and have a manageable upcoming schedule. They host the Raiders (2-7) and Patriots (3-7) over the next two weeks, giving them an excellent opportunity to keep pace or gain ground in the wild-card hunt.
Rams hurt by conservative approach
Rams head coach Sean McVay might want a do-over. His conservative call late in the fourth quarter to kick a field goal on a 4th-and-goal from the Dolphins' 4-yard line instead of going for it helped Miami pull off the upset.
ESPN Analytics recommended that McVay keep his offense on the field, with Los Angeles' win expectancy jumping 5.6 percentage points by going for it instead of settling for a field goal.
By adding three points, the Rams trailed by eight and had no margin of error on Miami's ensuing drive, when Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders drilled a 50-yarder to extend the lead back to two scores.
If McVay had gone for it on 4th-and-goal inside Miami's 5-yard line, the Rams could have added four points to their possession by converting, which would have kept it a one-possession game following Sanders' make.
Dolphins pass-rush comes alive
Despite only being blitzed on six of 40 dropbacks, Stafford was pressured 13 times (32.5%), leading to four sacks. (h/t Pro Football Focus)
Rookie edge Chop Robinson had a team-high four pressures, while veteran Calais Campbell added three pressures and batted two passes, one of which resulted in an interception.
Miami entered Monday night 31st in sacks (10) and 21st in pressure rate (20.4%), but its strong showing against the Rams could be a sign its fortune is turning.
Jared Verse shows why he's the front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year
The Rams hit a home run when they selected Verse with their first round pick (No. 19 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Defensive Rookie of the Year front-runner had five total pressures in the loss, recording a strong 36.4% win rate in true pass sets, which filters out play action and screen passes, pass plays with less than four pass-rushers, short drop backs and times to throw under two seconds.
He forced and recovered a fumble on a second-quarter sack, giving him three consecutive games with a sack.
Loss will be hard for Rams to overcome in NFC playoff race
Los Angeles played itself back into playoff contention by going 3-0 in its previous three games entering Monday. But the loss to Miami is a massive step back for the Rams.
They still have games remaining against the Eagles (7-2), Bills (8-2), 49ers (5-4) and Cardinals (6-4), making a nine-loss season feasible.
Seven NFC teams already have six wins, so unless one collapses during the second half of the season, Los Angeles might look back at Monday's loss in January as the reason it stays home during the playoffs.
