Miami Dolphins Week 10 fan confidence climbs despite last week’s loss

The Miami Dolphins are facing a Monday Night Football contest against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10, a primetime showdown for a team that has not performed well on primetime. Can they shake off that habitually rough night-time performance to come away with a much-needed win as they reach the half-way point of their season?

The Dolphins looked like a more complete team in Week 9 when they faced the Buffalo Bills. Instead of the typical beatdown at the hands of their AFC East rivals from the last few seasons, the Dolphins were able to go toe-to-toe with the division leaders. Miami still dropped the game, losing 30-27 on a last second field goal, but it in a sport with no moral victories, that game felt much better than the other losses the Dolphins have had this year.

Was it enough to buoy how the fans feel about the team? Our SB Nation Reacts poll, brought to us courtesy of FanDuel sportsbook, returns to give us that answer.

Miami Dolphins fan confidence

The fans seem to be responding to the team’s performance on the field, rather than simply the result at the end of the game. Coming in with just 12 percent of the fans thinking the team is headed in the right direction in not where, during the preseason, anyone thought the Dolphins, and their fan base, would be heading into Week 10, but it is actually an improvement.

The SB Nation Reacts poll started this season with ratings in the mid-80 percent range for Dolphins fans. It has fallen as low as five percent this year. Heading into last week’s game, only seven percent of the fans thought Miami might be headed in the right direction. That make a 12 percent rating a large improvement. Will Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams continue an upward trajectory for the fan confidence rating?

Week 1: 85%

Week 2: 82%

Week 3: 15%

Week 4: 9%

Week 5: 5%

Week 6: 8%

Week 7: 20%

Week 8: 22%

Week 9: 7%

Week 10: 12%

Dolphins opponent fan confidence: Los Angeles Rams

The Rams’ 2024 season has been a story of resilience and rebounding. They started the year with two losses before their first victory in Week 3 – a win over the 2023 NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. They then dropped their next two games, sitting at 1-4 during their Week 6 bye – a game worse than Miami was during the same bye week.

Since returning in Week 6, while Miami has lost all three games they have played, the Rams have gone on a three-game winning streak and positioned themselves in second place in the NFC West. They are just a half-game out of the division lead and appear to be a team that has righted their season.

The SB Nation Reacts fan confidence poll on Turf Show Times, SB Nation’s Rams team site, has reflected the Rams’ season performance. They opened the year with a 96 percent positive rating before dropping as low as 30 percent. They hovered around the 50 percent mark over the middle portion of the games they have played this year, but have seen the fans return to their positive outlook of the team as they have gone on this three-game winning streak. Heading into Week 10, 95 percent of Rams fans believe the team is headed in the right direction.

Turf Show Times also asked their fans if they believe the Rams will make the playoffs this year. Just over three quarters of the fans responded that they are expecting a postseason appearance from the Los Angeles based team.

Rams fan confidence:

Week 1: 96%

Week 2: 86%

Week 3: 30%

Week 4: 84%

Week 5: 48%

Week 6: 40%

Week 7: 59%

Week 8: 57%

Week 9: 92%

Week 10: 95%