Dolphins clinging to thin playoff hopes. Hit the road to face Browns, who have lost four straight

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This article was published 26/12/2024 (301 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Miami (7-8) at Cleveland (3-12)

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Dolphins by 6 1/2.

Against the spread: Dolphins 6-9, Browns 4-11.

Series record: Dolphins lead 10-9.

Last meeting: Dolphins beat Browns 39-17 on Nov. 13, 2022, at Miami Gardens, Florida.

Last week: Dolphins beat San Francisco 29-17; Browns lost to Bengals 24-6.

Dolphins offense: overall (18), rush (25), pass (15), scoring (23).

Dolphins defense: overall (8), rush (6), pass (11), scoring (10).

Browns offense: overall (25), rush (27), pass (19), scoring (31).

Browns defense: overall (19), rush (19), pass (14), scoring (26).

Turnover differential: Dolphins minus-4, Browns minus-18.

Dolphins player to watch

DE Zach Sieler has at least one sack in five of his past six games, including one of Brock Purdy last week against San Francisco. Sieler’s 8 1/2 sacks are the second most among defensive tackles this season, behind the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence, and the most for defensive tackles in the AFC. The Browns struggled to protect Dorian Thompson-Robinson as he was sacked four times in his start last week, which gives Sieler and Miami’s pass rush an area to exploit.

Browns players to watch

DE Myles Garrett’s 29th birthday coincides with Cleveland’s final home game and a late-season push by the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of The Year to defend his title. Garrett surpassed 100 sacks last week. He also joined Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as the only players with at least 12 sacks in five straight seasons. Garrett has 12 sacks and can become the first player with 14 sacks in four straight seasons.

Key matchup

Dolphins RB De’Von Achane vs. Browns linebackers. Achane’s versatility as a runner (761 yards) and pass catcher (76 receptions, 579 yards) makes him difficult to stop and gives Miami another playmaker to stress defenses, especially on the perimeter. One missed tackle could be the difference in a short gain or a long touchdown.

Key injuries

Dolphins: QB Tua Tagovailoa was downgraded to doubtful with a hip injury that limited him all week in practice. If he can’t play, Tyler Huntley will make his fourth start. Huntley was signed in September after Tagovailoa suffered his third documented concussion. … CB Kendall Fuller was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. … WR Jaylen Waddle (knee) missed last week. Coach Mike McDaniel said he wants to see how Waddle progresses this week before making a determination on his game status.

Browns: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (calf) got hurt on the first series last week but didn’t come out. As long as he’s healthy, he’ll make his fifth career start. … TE David Njoku (knee) will sit out. He had a team-high eight catches last week. … DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (knee) and WR Cedric Tillman (concussion) are both out. … DT Shelby Harris (elbow) went on injured reserve this week, hurting Cleveland’s depth up front.

Series notes

Miami has won three of the past four meetings after losing four in a row. … The Browns are 7-5 at home against the Dolphins, beating them 41-24 in their previous meeting at Huntington Bank Field in 2019. … The Dolphins won six straight against the Browns from 1988 to 2004.

Stats and stuff

The Dolphins (7-8) are on the bubble for a wild-card spot along with Indianapolis (7-8) and Cincinnati (7-8). Even if the Dolphins win their remaining two games, they’ll need help from other teams to get in. In one scenario, Miami would make the playoffs with two wins and two losses each by Denver (9-6) and the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6). … The Dolphins clinched their fifth straight home winning season last week. Miami is 5-2 at home this season, 2-5 on the road. … Tagovailoa threw his 100th touchdown with a 3-yard pass to Tyreek Hill in the second quarter. He is the fourth Dolphins quarterback with 100 TD passes, and it was his 15th straight game with at least one passing TD — the second-longest active streak in the NFL behind Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (23). … Miami’s run game finally got going in that game with 166 yards. It was the Dolphins’ first time topping 100 yards rushing since Week 9. Achane led the way with 120 yards. His 50-yard rushing score was Miami’s longest run this season. … LB Jordyn Brooks is having one of the most productive seasons for a Dolphins defender. His 128 tackles are the most in a season in the past 15 years, and his three sacks on the season made him one of four players in the NFL with at least three sacks and 100 tackles in each of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Brooks is also the only player in the NFL this season with at least 100 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five passes defensed and three sacks. … With three tackles last week, Calais Campbell reached 900 in his career, making him the only active defensive lineman with that many and the first since at least 2000. … Thompson-Robinson had a few nice moments last week but some hesitancy in the pocket may have contributed to five sacks for Cincinnati. … Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was Cleveland’s wide receivers coach in 2014. … Browns QB Jameis Winston, who was benched because of interceptions, was the No. 3 QB last week because of a sore right shoulder. … RB Jerome Ford ripped off a 66-yard run on the game’s first play last week and finished with 131 total yards. He’s got a larger workload with Nick Chubb (broken foot) out for the season. … WR Jerry Jeudy had just two catches last week, but he leads the Browns with 72 and 1,072 yards receiving. Jeudy is the third player to reach 1,000 yards in his first season with the team. Amari Cooper (2022) and Odell Beckham Jr. (2019) are the others. … CB Denzel Ward leads the NFL with 19 passes defensed. He’ll likely spend most of the game matched up against Hill — speed on speed. … The Browns have not allowed a QB to throw for 300 yards in 26 consecutive games, the NFL’s current longest streak. … Browns K Dustin Hopkins returned last week after being benched for a game and missed his only attempt on a PAT. Hopkins has been in a prolonged slump, but coach Kevin Stefanski said he’ll stick with the veteran this week. The Browns signed Andre Szmyt as an option.

Fantasy tip

Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith has been a revelation for Miami, which signed him as a free agent. He’s tied with Achane for the team lead in catches and TDs. Cleveland has been susceptible over the middle and Smith could have another big game.

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