INGLEWOOD, Calif. – If the Miami Dolphins salvage their 2-6 start to the season, their Week 10 win over the Los Angeles Rams could be the spark.

The Dolphins won for the second year in a row at SoFi Stadium, this time beating the Rams 23-15 in a game in which they never trailed. Miami ended a three-game losing streak, two of which came in the last second.

More importantly, the Dolphins opened the door for a potential playoff run, as the win puts them 1.5 games behind the Denver Broncos for the AFC’s seventh seed. Only three teams in NFL history have recovered from a 2-6 start to make the playoffs, but with home games against the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots in the next two weeks, Miami could be 5-6 if it team travels to Green. Bay on Thanksgiving to play the Packers.

Entering Week 10, the Dolphins had an 8.1% chance of making the playoffs according to ESPN’s FPI, but they will play the league’s 10th easiest remaining schedule. With their chances of winning the AFC East virtually non-existent, the Dolphins will need to capture one of the three wild card spots to keep their two-year playoff streak alive.

QB breakdown: Tua Tagovailoa overcame a potentially disastrous second quarter in which he threw an interception and lost a fumble on consecutive drives. He finished with 207 yards and a touchdown, but converted five third-down attempts. He took a few untimely sacks, which coach Mike McDaniel said were a result of him trying to do too much, something Tagovailoa continues to work on in his fifth season.

Describe the game in two words: Constant pressure. Miami’s defense made life terrible for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was pressured 13 times and sacked four times — a season-high for the Dolphins.

Promising trend: No Dolphins player has experienced more pressure on the quarterback since Week 5 than Chop Robinson, who moved into a more prominent role following Jaelan Phillips’ injury. He continued that trend Monday night with five pressures and recorded his second sack of the season in as many games. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: vs. Raiders (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

According to ESPN Analytics, the Rams entered the game with an 18.4% chance of making the playoffs, but the loss prevented them from keeping pace in the NFC West.

After the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers won on Sunday, ESPN Analytics had the Rams’ chances of winning the division at 11.5%.

But on Monday, their offense struggled even though wide receiver Cooper Kupp, wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive linemen Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson were all back from injury for the first time since the season opener.

According to ESPN Research, this is the 50th game for the Rams that Matthew Stafford has started at quarterback. This is only the second time in those 50 games that Los Angeles has failed to score a touchdown.

The Rams’ offensive woes showed up on third down. The offense came into the game converting 36% of third downs, which ranks 23rd in the NFL. On Monday night, the Rams were 1 of 10 (10%).

Los Angeles fell to 4-5, its first loss since Week 6.

Quarterback breakdown: After throwing six touchdown passes in the previous two games, Stafford didn’t throw one against a Dolphins defense that entered the game ranked 26th in pass defense DVOA. Stafford completed 32 of 46 passes for 293 yards and an interception. According to ESPN Research, Stafford has thrown an interception in six straight games, tying for the longest streak of his career.

Most surprising achievement: The offensive line. In the Rams’ previous three games, Stafford had been sacked once. But he was sacked four times on Monday night, despite Avila (MCL sprain) and Jackson (shoulder) returning from injured reserve. The Rams were without right tackle Rob Havenstein, who was out with an ankle injury. The Dolphins’ defense did this despite entering the game with 10 sacks, the second fewest in the NFL.

Promising trend: First-round draft pick Jared Verse continued to impress. He had a sack and two tackles for a loss for the third straight game. According to the Rams, Verse’s 11 tackles for a loss in his first nine career games are second only to Von Miller and Micah Parsons since it became an official statistic in 1999. — Sarah Barshop

Next game: at Patriots (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)