The Miami Dolphins head to Ohio to face the Cleveland Browns this afternoon. We get a closer look at the Browns with the help of Dawgs By Nature.
The Miami Dolphins start a two-game road trip to end the 2024 NFL regular season with their playoff hopes on the line as they visit the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. Miami has to come away with a victory on Sunday if they are going to keep their chances of a postseason berth alive heading into next week’s season finale. The Browns have not had a great season, but could this be the game that finally trips up the Dolphins?
To get an idea of who Cleveland is this season, I turned to SB Nation’s Browns team site, Dawgs By Nature, for an insider look at the team. Executive editor Chris Pokorny was kind enough to answer my questions about the Browns over the holiday week.
You can head over to Dawgs By Nature for the Dolphins half of our conversation.
What have you seen from Dorian Thompson-Robinson since he was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and is he the future of the position for the Browns?
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I tried to be optimistic about Dorian Thompson-Robinson since he was facing what I consider to be a terrible defense in the Cincinnati Bengals, but he was a letdown. Heading into the game, I noted that his biggest weakness is that too many times, he takes a big loss on a play that just instantly kills a drive. It happened time and time again in the first half against Cincinnati: sacks in a variety of manners, such as him trying to roll away when he sees pressure and he makes it worse. On top of that, his overall accuracy isn’t sharp enough to be an NFL starting quarterback. His best asset is his legs, and first read throws off of the threat of his legs.
Running back Jerome Ford has stepped up in the absence of Nick Chubb. What does he do well and what should we expect to see from him this week?
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Ford seems to have gotten into a good rhythm for feeling the right hole the past few weeks, and we always knew from there that he had the speed to break some big runs. He’s also never had an issue with catching the ball, so the targets have just seen an uptick lately too. He’s typically not a back who will break a lot of tackles, but he’s a good complementary back for any NFL franchise to have.
If you are designing the Dolphins’ offensive game plan this week, how are you attacking the Browns defense? What should Miami’s defense do against the Browns’ offense?
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I still believe that misdirections are the way to go against this Browns’ defense, including end arounds with receivers, and throwing right behind Myles Garrett’s pass rush. Also, attacking cornerbacks Martin Emerson and Cameron Mitchell has worked well for other teams, as the Browns’ secondary has had an overall disappointing season.
Who are those players on offense and defense Dolphins fans may not know, but will have an impact on this game?
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On offense, it’s hard to pick a player who doesn’t have name recognition and isn’t hurt. The closest I can go with is wide receiver Michael Woods, simply because he has been getting starter-level reps the past few weeks since Cedric Tillman has not been cleared from the concussion protocol. Woods hasn’t had a big statistical day, but he’s at least an unknown name who you may see getting the ball thrown his way.
On defense, I’ll go with defensive tackle Mike Hall, the Browns’ second-round pick this year. Hall hasn’t played much due to suspension and injury, but when he has, he’s graded quite well on Pro Football Focus and has done a good job providing a pass rush and clogging the lane on runs.
What went wrong for the Browns this year and what do you expect the offseason to look like in Cleveland? What are the biggest needs for the team?
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Deshaun Watson was awful beyond belief, and the defense didn’t make any adjustments on their weaknesses from a year ago. On top of that, many aspects of our special teams unit also took a big step back, including at the kicker position with Dustin Hopkins becoming a headcase. The biggest need is figuring our the quarterback position, and then after that, a mix of left tackle, running back, and cornerback. The Browns can jump right back into contention with some of their talent, but that QB situation really does hold things up.