Even with Ryan Tannehill throwing 29 passes, Brian Hartline got shut out.
The NFL's leading receiver in terms of yardage wasn't officially targeted a single time, though he did draw an 11-yard pass-interference call (on Bradley Fletcher) on one pass that sailed into his area during the third-quarter touchdown drive.
Another time in the second half Hartline was overthrown, but the Rams were whistled for a 15-yard penalty for (barely) striking Tannehill in the facemask.
"Listen, they had us out of rhythm," Philbin said when I asked what the Rams were doing to stop Hartline. "They mixed in their pressures well, they mixed in some bump coverage and some off coverage. We just never got in a position where we were real effective moving the football."
He did not specifically explain what was happening with Hartline, who seemed to struggle all day to create separation.
Hartline was slowed by a quadriceps issue in practice. That, combined with tight coverage by veteran cornerback Cortland Finnegan, could have been the lethal combo to kill Hartline's day. While this could happen to any receiver, any week, trusting the Dolphin's passing game is always risky.
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