Defender Lee Wallace scored his first Championship goal as 10-man QPR clung on to beat Middlesbrough and leapfrog them in the table.
But Yannick Bolasie halved the deficit and Boro stepped up the pressure after Rangers had goalkeeper Seny Dieng sent off for bringing down Duncan Watmore.
Replacement keeper Joe Lumley denied George Saville with a superb close-range stop as the visitors held on for the victory.
Boro, who have now failed to win in their past five games, slip to 11th place, one behind their opponents.
After a quiet start, Rangers hit their hosts twice in the space of three minutes - the first of those when Lyndon Dykes laid the ball off for Dickie to rifle into the top corner from long range.