Rams Lose On Final-Minute Touchdown in Goff's Debut

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Jared Goff's NFL debut was spoiled as Ryan Tannehill threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker with 36 seconds to give the Miami Dolphins a 14-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams Sunday.

"Probably one of the most disappointing losses I've endured over the years, particularly because of everything that went into the game -- the opportunities for Jared to start here at home ... and the fact that we're coming off of a win," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher, who is in his 31st season as an NFL coach and 22nd as a head coach.

"Knowing that we were going to play a good football team today, to play three and a half quarters of good football, even though we didn't get the points and then to let things slip away in the last six minutes was really disappointing, but that's the National Football League.

Goff, the first player chosen in the NFL draft, completed 17 of 31 passes for 134 yards against a Dolphin defense without three starters before a crowd announced at 83,483 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

He did a really good job," Fisher said. "No delay-of-games, was in complete control in the huddle, did a nice job on the line of scrimmage. I was disappointed in the outcome of the game, but I think you could see the light.

There's light there for him, so we'll continue to allow him to get ready and to continue to progress. Obviously disappointed to go into the last six minutes of the game and be up by 10 and lose it."

Miami coach Adam Gase said he thought Goff "did a pretty good job as far as what we were bringing at him -- trying to pressure him a little bit, give him some different looks."

"He didn't really seem bothered by much of it," Gase said. "We were trying to get to him, trying to hit him. He escaped the pocket a couple times and extended plays.

He made it difficult for our defense. They did a good job of sticking with it, getting him off the field on third down and giving our offense another shot."

Fisher announced on Tuesday that Goff would replace Case Keenum at quarterback. Under Keenum, the Rams had the league's lowest-scoring offense, averaging 15.4 points per game.

Goff got off to an inauspicious start as his first two passes were incomplete, forcing the Rams to punt after three plays on their first possession.

The Rams (4-6) scored their lone touchdown on their second possession. Todd Gurley's 24-yard run was his longest of the season. The Rams drove 68 yards on four plays for the score, with Goff going two for two for 22 yards.

"I think it took me a couple drives to settle in," Goff said. "I expected that. Similar to my first start in college, in high school, my whole life, your first game in there you got to settle in."

The Rams held the Dolphins (6-4) scoreless until Tannehill threw a 10- yard touchdown pass to to Jarvis Landry with 4:02 left, culminating an eight- play, 77-yard drive that followed a 48-yard field goal attempt by Greg Zuerlein that hit the left upright.

The drive also included a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty against Rams middle linebacker Alec Ogletree.

Miami forced the Rams to punt after three plays and a penalty on the ensuing drive.

The Dolphins began their final drive on the their own 25-yard line, with Tannehill completing a 15-yard pass to Kenny Stills on the first play. Miami picked up another 15 yards when Rams two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald was called for roughing the passer.

After Jay Ajayi was tackled for a two-yard loss, Tannehill completed nine and 12-yard passes to Parker, Ajayi ran for nine yards and Tannehill completed an eight-yard pass to Ajayi. Tannehill threw the nine-yard touchdown pass to Parker on the next play.

Tannehill completed all five of his passes on the final drive for 54 yards.

Benny Cunningham returned Andrew Franks kickoff 44 yards to the Rams 41- yard line.

Goff needed to complete a five-yard pass to Lance Kendricks on a fourth- and-three to keep the drive alive, but with five seconds left, there was only time left for one play.

Goff's Hail Mary pass was batted down in the end zone with no Ram receiver nearby.

Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal with 1:39 left in the third quarter, completing a 10-play, 54-yard drive where Goff completed two of three passes for 31 yards and ran twice for eight yards.

For the first three quarters, the Dolphins best scoring chance came in the third quarter when Kiko Alonso recovered a fumble by Kendricks at the Rams' 37-yard line. However, Tannehill's pass into the end zone on the next play was intercepted by Maurice Alexander.

"We were terrible on offense and we're just lucky that our defense played as hard as they could, they sold out and tried to just keep us in the game," Gase said.

The Rams were outgained, 240 yards to 226 and trailed 17-12 in first downs. They led in time of possession, 31:19-28:41.

Miami gained 112 of its yards on the final two drives.

The Rams converted two of 13 third down opportunities, 15.4 percent, the Dolphins one of 11, 9.1 percent.

The loss was the Rams fifth in six games and sixth time they had been held to 10 points or less.

The Rams are 2-11 against Miami, losing four in a row and 10 of the past 11. The Rams are 0-4 against the Dolphins in Southern California, also losing at the Coliseum in 1971 and at the then-Anaheim Stadium in 1980 and 1986.

Tannehill completed 24 of 34 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns with one pass intercepted as Miami extended its winning streak to five games, its longest winning streak since 2008 when they won their final five regular- season games.

Gurley ran for 75 yards, his second-highest total of the season, on 20 carries. Ajayi ran for a game-high 77 yards on 16 carries.

Rams two-time Pro Bowl punter Johnny Hekker averaged 45.5 yards on his eight punts, with a long of 61, pinning the Dolphins inside their 20-yard line five times.

The Rams made four quarterback sacks, meaning each defensive lineman and defensive line coach Mike Waufle will make a $400 donation to help fight homelessness in Los Angeles.

The Rams defensive line began the "Sack Homelessness" initiative in the 2012 season when the team was based in St. Louis. The program generated more than $200,000 in its first four seasons, a team official said.

The game was the Rams NFL Play 60 game, celebrating youth health and wellness. The 2016 NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Los Angeles Team Championship was held before the game. The City Ducks youth football team scrimmaged at halftime.

"We've got a lot of things to improve on. I'm disappointed with penalties," said Fisher, whose team was penalized eight times for 70 yards. Miami was also penalized eight times for 83 yards.

"We beat ourselves with penalties and allowing big plays in the last two drives."

-- City News Service, photo courtesy of the Rams.