The return of RB Stephen Jackson was not enough for the woeful St. Louis Rams to beat the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Dolphins rebounded for a tough rout last week at the hands of the Patriots with a stingy defensive effort and just enough on offense to pick up the win. The win was Miami’s 5th in 6 games and their 7th of the season.

Miami got a touchdown from Ronnie Brown in the 2nd quarter followed by 3 FGs from Dan Carpenter to get their 16pts. The Miami defense would be the story of the day though as they held the Rams to nothing but FGs on the day, never allowing them into the endzone. Stephen Jackson returned for the Rams and rushed for 94 yards, but the Dolphins would shut down the Rams’ passing game.

The Dolphins’ defense held the Rams to 149 yards passing and had 3 interceptions on the day to keep the St. Louis offense in check and out of the endzone. It was a less than impressive game from the Dolphins, especially considering the quality of opponent the team faced. The Dolphins have struggled this year in games against mediocre teams while making an impressive display of themselves against tough opposition.

The victory was important for the Dolphins. Combined with the Patriots’ loss to Pittsburgh this weekend, the Dolphins’ win moves them into 2nd place in the AFC East, one game behind the Jets with a game remaining against the Jets. More importantly, the victory keeps the Dolphins in the hunt for a Wild Card spot in the AFC as well. With 4 games remaining in the season, the Dolphins find themselves still in the playoff race and each game will be critical to their playoff hunt.