(Sports Network) - If the Miami Dolphins are to make the playoffs this season, they have a long road ahead of them. Literally.

The Dolphins begin a stretch of four road games over the season's final five weeks this Sunday, when they visit the St. Louis Rams and the Edward Jones Dome.

Coming off a 2007 campaign that saw the club go just 1-15, the fact that the Dolphins are even in the playoff hunt this late in the season is impressive enough. However, the 2008 schedule makers didn't do surprisingly 6-5 Miami any favors.

The Dolphins will head to Toronto to take on the Buffalo Bills following this weekend's contest against the Rams before returning home to face San Francisco. Miami will then play in Kansas City and later wraps its regular season in New York, where it will battle the Jets.

The Dolphins are 2-2 on the road so far this year and haven't played away from Miami since a win in Denver on November 2. Miami hasn't posted back-to-back road wins since midway through the 2006 season and has never before played this many road tests over its final five games of a season.

The club did play three road games over the final five weeks of the 2003 season, going 2-1 on the road and 3-2 overall in that span.

Miami will have to respond in St. Louis this weekend after having a four-game winning streak halted with a 48-28 loss to the New England Patriots this past Sunday. The loss dropped the Dolphins two games back of the first-place Jets in the AFC East and one game out of a playoff spot.

They lost a shootout to the Patriots, racking up 392 yards in the loss. Only problem was, New England totaled 530 yards of offense, including 415 through the air by Matt Cassel.

The Rams, meanwhile, are in the midst of a five-game losing streak that has lowered their record to 2-9 on the season. It marks the third straight year that St. Louis has endured a slide of at least five losses, as the Rams opened the 2007 campaign with eight straight defeats and suffered five setbacks in a row during the middle of the 2006 season.

The club was routed by the Chicago Bears, 27-3, last Sunday. The Rams trailed 24-3 at the half, were shut out over the final two quarters, and outgained by a 334-207 margin in yards.

With the Rams already minus injured running back Steven Jackson and tackle Orlando Pace, St. Louis starting quarterback Marc Bulger was knocked out of Sunday's loss early due to a concussion, the third of his career. Bulger was able to pass a neuropsych test on Wednesday, however, and is on track to start Sunday's test.

Jackson could also return this weekend, if he doesn't suffer a setback in practice. He has missed three straight and four of the last five games due to a lingering thigh injury.

Pace, the top overall pick of the 1997 draft, suffered an MCL injury that was originally supposed to sideline him for 2-to-4 weeks, but there's a good chance he'll be back in uniform on Sunday.

St. Louis is 1-4 at home this season.

SERIES HISTORY

Miami holds an 8-2 advantage in its all-time series with the Rams, including a 31-14 home victory when the teams last met, in 2004. The Dolphins were 0-6 heading into that contest, which was the final victory in Dave Wannstedt's tenure as head coach. The Rams won the previous matchup between the two, 42-10, on the road during the 2001 season. The Dolphins won their only other meeting against the Rams in St. Louis, 41-22 in 1995.

St. Louis' Jim Haslett was 0-1 against Miami while serving as head coach with New Orleans (2000-2005), with the defeat coming in Baton Rouge during his final season with the team. The Dolphins' Tony Sparano will be meeting both Haslett and the Rams for the first time as a head coach.

WHEN THE DOLPHINS HAVE THE BALL

Miami's "Wildcat" formation racked up four touchdowns and 119 yards on six plays in its Week 3 meeting with the Patriots, who weren't fooled the second time around. On eight plays out of the formation this past Sunday, the Dolphins netted just 25 yards and did not score. Still, the novelty has helped Miami post more than 340 yards of offense in nine straight weeks, with the team averaging 379 yards a game in that span. Quarterback Chad Pennington (2715 passing yards, 11 TD, 6 INT) threw for a career-high 341 yards this past weekend, completing three touchdown passes while also running for a score. Miami's leading receiver, Greg Camarillo, had six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, but suffered a knee injury during the game that will cause him to miss the rest of the season. Camarillo (55 receptions, 2 TD) led the club in catches and receiving yards (613) this year. Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. (43 receptions, 1 TD) had five catches for 88 yards last week, wideout Davone Bess (24 receptions, 1 TD) also had a career-high five catches for 87 yards, while running backs Ricky Williams (458 rushing yards, 4 total TD) and Casey Cramer had a touchdown catch each in the loss. Running back Ronnie Brown (642 rushing yards, 9 TD), who accounted for five touchdowns versus the Pats earlier in the season, was held to 37 yards on 10 carries. Miami has allowed 22 sacks this year, while tackle and 2008 first-overall pick Jake Long is questionable for Sunday due to an ankle ailment.

The Rams failed to solve Chicago's ground game last week, yielding 201 net rushing yards. Bears back Matt Forte had 132 of that total and scored twice. On the season, St. Louis is allowing 162.3 yards per game on the ground (30th in the NFL) and 31.3 points per game (31st). Despite injuries to both shoulders, linebacker Will Witherspoon (67 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) notched a team-high tying eight tackles against the Bears, as did fellow linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (70 tackles, 1 sack). The Rams have 21 sacks on the season and posted just one against the Bears, with defensive end James Hall (39 tackles, 4.5 sacks) getting to the quarterback. St. Louis did come away with two turnovers in the loss, as safety Oshiomogho Atogwe (57 tackles, 4 INT) forced the ball loose and recovered it, while corner Fakhir Brown (31 tackles, 1 INT) also recovered a fumble. Rookie defensive end Chris Long (34 tackles, 4 sacks), the No. 2 pick of the 2008 behind Miami's Long, posted two tackles and a forced fumble. St. Louis has just six interceptions on the season, one of the lowest totals in the NFL, and more than half of those have come from Atogwe. Corner Tye Hill (20 tackles) has missed the last six games due to a knee injury and is again doubtful for this week.

WHEN THE RAMS HAVE THE BALL

Bulger (1679 passing yards, 7 TD, 8 INT) completed two passes for 11 yards in Week 12 before suffering a concussion on a hit by Chicago's Adewale Ogunleye. He was replaced by Trent Green (525 passing yards, 0 TD, 6 INT), who started five games for the Dolphins a year ago, under center. Green completed 16-of-30 passes in relief on Sunday, accumulating 219 yards while also getting picked off four times. Whoever is under center will likely be under fire. St. Louis has allowed 37 sacks this year, and in addition to Pace not being 100 percent for this weekend's game, center Nick Leckey is lost for the season due to a broken bone in his foot. That is also not good for Jackson (525 rushing yards, 4 TD) as he attempts to return to the lineup. The Rams could certainly use him if he is healthy, after rushing for only 14 net yards against Chicago. Running back Kenneth Darby had 10 of those yards on seven carries, while Antonio Pittman had eight on nine rush attempts. Torry Holt (42 receptions, 2 TD) hauled in four passes for 84 yards in the loss, with Dane Looker (14 receptions, 2 TD) adding four receptions for 46 yards. Kicker Josh Brown put the Rams on the board with a 43-yard field goal, and St. Louis is ranked last in the NFL with just 13.4 points per game.

The Rams will get a chance to take on a Dolphins defense that failed to contain the Patriots a week ago. In addition to going over 400 yards passing, Cassel threw three TD passes and also ran for a score. New England wideout Randy Moss tore through the Dolphins' secondary, making eight catches for 125 yards with three touchdowns. Former Dolphin Wes Welker added another eight receptions for 120 yards. That was nothing new for Miami, which is ranked ninth in the league against the run (94.1 ypg) but has been hammered for 240.6 passing yards per game, 28th in the NFL. Linebacker Joey Porter (39 tackles) had one of Miami's two sacks, giving him at least a half-sack in nine straight games. His 14 1/2 quarterback takedowns on the season leads the NFL and also set a new single-season record for sacks by a Miami linebacker. Safety Yeremiah Bell (85 tackles, 1 sack) also had a sack and led the team with nine tackles, while linebacker Channing Crowder (82 tackles) had eight. Safety Jason Allen (33 tackles, 1 INT) had seven tackles and defensive back Renaldo Hill (52 tackles, 1 INT) came away with an interception against New England. Crowder was involved in a scuffle with New England's Matt Light in the fourth quarter that saw some punches thrown and both players receive personal foul calls and ejections. Crowder was fined but not suspended for his role in the melee.

FANTASY FOCUS

The Dolphins have been a surprise offensive force this year and face a Rams defense that can't stop anybody. Pennington is coming off a career day and should put up good numbers again this weekend, as could Brown. Camarillo's injury should help Ginn owners, while Bess and Ernest Wilford are likely to start seeing more passes come their way. Though the Dolphins' defense was horrid versus the Patriots, it should enjoy some success this weekend, and Ginn is always a threat to break a long return.

Bulger owners should prepare to find a new option for this weekend, and Green is a reach at best at that spot. St. Louis' injured offensive line also spells trouble for the hobbled Jackson if he returns. Once a fantasy stud, Jackson will be a risky start for the rest of the season. Uncertainty at the quarterback spot also hurts Holt and Avery, though Holt is the safer start of the two. Avoid St. Louis' defense at all cost.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Dolphins themselves couldn't have picked a better place to start their epic swing of road games. The Rams look just plain lost and defeated each time they step onto the field, and getting a view of Miami's unique offensive formations won't help that one bit. The Dolphins will be able to run and pass with ease on the Rams, whose own banged-up offense will just be trying to get off the field in one piece.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Dolphins 30, Rams 12