Dolphins On Thin Ice, Facing Browns In Must-Win Contest

Cleveland, OH – The Miami Dolphins have little wiggle room as they head to Ohio to take on the Cleveland Browns in a must-win game this Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

As it has been for the past few weeks, the Dolphins need a lot to happen for a spot in the postseason, but it all starts with winning. They did their job against San Francisco last week, but that was only the start. To their advantage, the competition to close out the regular season isn’t amazing, with the 3-12 Browns and 4-11 New York Jets.

Along with the Dolphins having to win out, Here’s what needs to go down for a Wild Card spot.

The 9-6 Denver Broncos need to lose their remaining two games against Cincinnati and Kansas City, which is very much possible.

The 7-8 Indianapolis Colts need to lose one of their last two games against the New York Giants and Jacksonville. Sadly, this seems unlikely as the Giants are 2-13 and the Jags are 3-12.

A Dangerous Threat Looms

Miami’s win over the 49ers was solid, but the defense stepped up. 17 points against a team that played in the Super Bowl last season isn’t bad, even with the injuries on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, Miami was fine, with De’VOn Achance having one of his best games as a Dolphins, being a dual-threat danger. As a receiver and rusher, the 49ers defense had no answers for him when it mattered the most.

However, at this point, you can throw that out because there’s a problem. A big problem. Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback who makes the offense work, might not play in this game. Likely, he won’t.

Already in need of a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, this was the last thing Miami needed to hear up north.

With Tua, a win over Cleveland felt likely, but now the QB matchup of Tyler Huntley vs. Dorian Thompson-Robinson feels like a coin flip.#GoFins https://t.co/kON34evC0J

— Jake Gibson (@JakeTheEmcee) December 28, 2024

Tua has battled multiple injuries during his career as a Dolphin, but this hip injury was unexpected. He reportedly suffered a nasty hit to the hip in Miami’s loss to the Texans two weeks ago. He took another hit to the same area in last week’s game and has been limited in practice all week.

We’re Going Back To SNOOP

With Tua likely out, Tyler Huntley will start for the first time since their loss to Indianapolis in late October. There is a storyline here, as Huntley did spend time with the Browns’ training camp before getting released and picked up by Miami. Still, when Huntley was under center, the Dolphins’ offense was ATROCIOUS.

Huntley led one of the worst offenses in the league in yards per game and points per game. He was not an exceptionally accurate passer like Tua, and he wasn’t a solid runner either. A few things have changed since then, such as the emergence of Jonnu Smith as a reliable pass catcher and scorer. The offensive line has also been consistent through it all…for the most part.

Still, to say I’d be confident in Huntley is a lie, unfortunately. With Tua on the field, I entered this preview optimistic about a win, but losing that one player makes me unbearably worried.

The Original Factory Of Sadness

When the season began, I don’t think anyone had a QB matchup of Tyler Huntley vs Dorian Thompson-Robinson pinned on their calendars. The Cleveland Browns have been a disappointment this season, and that’s saying something. It stems mainly from their quarterback fiasco. They entered the season with Deshaun Watson, an already controversial figure with a massive contract. Seven games in, he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. They turned to Jameis Winston, who has thrown almost as many interceptions as he has touchdowns – 13 to 12.

It took Deshaun Watson getting injured and Dorian Thompson-Robinson going down as the backup QB for the Browns to finally go to Jameis Winston, as the emergency QB, while any NFL fan who has ever watched football knew Jameis was the best QB in that room. pic.twitter.com/x3ywwBZY20

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) October 20, 2024

For the rest of the season, the Browns have handed the keys to Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He initially came in for Watson when he got injured, but was quickly replaced by Winston. Last week’s 24-6 loss to Cincinnati was his first start. It wasn’t good. With 157 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and five sacks, it’s hard to find many positives about his playstyle.

Nick Chubb was one of the most prominent runners in football, but he’s become injury-prone. A knee injury he suffered early last season sidelined him for the beginning of 2024. Recently, a foot injury in their loss against Kansas City has sidelined him for the rest of the season.

On defense, Cleveland gives up 339.9 yards per game and 25.3 points per game, both pretty mediocre stats. Their passing and rushing defenses are bang average. They have four interceptions this season – the second-fewest in the NFL. Their -18 turnover differential is the absolute worst in football.

Final Thoughts

I came into this preview thinking that Miami would beat Cleveland by a final score of 35-10, kind of like their win over Washington last season. They had everything to play for, and the Browns are in the gutter of the NFL.

However, with Tua likely out, this has taken a turn. Now, the game will likely be low-scoring, with Miami’s defense being the key factor. If the Dolphins win, it will harken back to their narrow win over New England earlier this season when Huntley was playing.

Oh dear.

MIAMI – 17

CLEVELAND – 7