The Browns are back to work today after a week off. The last game they played saw them embarrass Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. They ran the football to perfection, and Myles Garrett and the defensive front got after Joe Burrow all night long en route to a sorely needed 32-13 victory to keep their season alive. But the test in front of them today is arguably their toughest game of the season.
Miami comes into this one having won three games in a row. And that's in large part because of the trio of Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins signal caller, and his two main receivers power an explosive, deadly offense that is in the Top 10 in the league in scoring. The Dolphins also have AFC East Championship aspirations, since they currently sit just behind the Buffalo Bills, who they beat earlier in the season. How can the Browns contain the multi-headed monster today? It certainly won't be easy. But it can be done. Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory.
The best defense: A good offense
It's no secret: Even with Denzel Ward back, the Browns secondary will have their hands full today. The Dolphins are pass-heavy, and they live off the chunk plays that happen from busted coverages. That Miami passing game carves opposing defenses up like Thanksgiving turkeys. But if Cleveland can execute their biggest strength to perfection, that may just be what they need to control the Dolphins and keep them in check today.
What's their biggest strength? Running the football! Nick Chubb is averaging just over 105 yards per game rushing, 5.6 yards per carry, and he has 10 rushing touchdowns on the season. He's the heart of this Browns offense. If he's doing well, everything else falls into place. Cleveland chews up the clock, pounds on opposing defenses, and Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and other receivers have a chance to do big things against a secondary that is suspect at times. And most importantly, the Browns keep the opposing offense off the field.
Running the ball, and clock management are going to be key for the Browns if they want to pull off the shocker in South Florida today. Nick Chubb needs at least 25 carries, and Kareem Hunt probably needs at least 10 carries. The Dolphins are only giving up 3.7 yards per carry to running backs this season, but the Browns have the strongest running game in the league. No reason they can't get 4-5 yards a pop, even against a decent run defense like that.
Get after Tua!
In their last game, the Browns made Joe Burrow look like a deer in the headlights with how much they got after him. They registered five sacks, several quarterback hits and pressures, and just made his night a Halloween nightmare on the way to their most impressive defensive performance of the season.
But they'll need to have a carbon copy of that performance today if they want to shut down the Dolphins. This is especially true when facing Tua Tagovailoa. He gets the ball out fast, which may not give the Browns as much of a chance to get after him as most quarterbacks. But they still will have their opportunities. When they get these opportunities, they need to make the most of them. They need to harass him, make him truly uncomfortable, and probably sack him at least three times along with forcing a turnover.
I saw a very interesting and telling statistic on the Cleveland Browns team website: When Tua is not pressured, and he has time to sit back in the pocket and throw, he's completing 75 percent of his passes, has thrown for 14 touchdowns, and has a dazzling quarterback rating of 124. But, if you're fortunate enough to cook up a smart game plan that works in putting pressure on him? He's only completing 53 percent of his passes, and his quarterback rating drops dramatically to 84.5. What's even more interesting, is that he's only been pressured around 15 percent of the time when he drops back to pass. The Browns absolutely HAVE to make a ferocious and nasty pass rush the centerpiece of their defensive game plan against him today. If they can do that, and make solid, surehanded tackles that lead to good defensive containment? That will go a very long way today to giving these guys a chance at a big road victory!
Win the turnover battle
This one is huge for both teams. But it's especially important for the Browns. Miami is already rolling offensively. If Cleveland gives them even one turnover? That's just asking for trouble. According to clevelandbrowns.com, the team is 11-2 under Kevin Stefanski when they don't commit a single turnover, as well as 2-0 this season.
On the other side of things, if the Browns can force Miami into a bad turnover or two, that may be just what they need to make this game closer than many people are expecting, and perhaps steal it from Miami if the opportunity is there at the end. Turnovers are certainly called the great equalizer for a good reason. And a game like this could be Exhibit A. The Dolphins are clearly the better team on paper this season. But forcing turnovers can give a team like the Browns a chance they probably won't have otherwise.
Even though Cleveland is a 3.5-point underdog going into this one, and Miami is red-hot right now, the Dolphins CAN be beaten. If the Browns do those things above, win #4 could be in the cards. But we'll have to wait and see. Tune into CBS to watch it all go down, starting at 1 PM! GO BROWNS!
Picture Credit: lineups.com
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