The Miami Dolphins’ Week 12 contest against the Cleveland Browns was a mixed bag — mainly bad with a few fleeting flashes of talent and the persistence to not go quietly into another week without some fight. The Dolphins were down 28-0 before they could hit halftime, getting knocked around by the Browns’ offensive onslaught. Leading the way for the Browns were second-year QB Baker Mayfield and former Miami Dolphin Jarvis Landry, who in all teamed up for 10 connections and a total of 148 yards and two scores.
Mayfield was terrific in the first half, showing patience to work through his progressions while experiencing some of his most comfortable reps in the pocket all season long. The Dolphins simply couldn’t touch him — and Mayfield made them pay. The Dolphins’ lack of depth in the secondary was painfully apparent as the Browns continued to attack again and again, despite their success running the ball with RBs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
Offensively, Miami stumbled in the run game once again, their lack of talent up front on the offensive line once again crippling the offense. The Dolphins’ 3 running backs combined for 14 carries and totaled 43 yards on the ground. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick served as the team’s leading rusher, rolling up 45 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
This game is ultimately another step towards a painful 2019 season mercifully ending, although the promise for Miami could be seen on the opposing sideline. The Browns are a terribly coached unit, but their talent is so blatantly obvious. It serves as a reminder of why the Dolphins committed to rebuilding in the first place. Because with a bevy of draft picks and a hundred million dollars in cap space, overhauling a roster can be expedited and the pain of failure on the field can position a team to find a difference maker.
The difference maker.
Cleveland’s difference maker today was Mayfield, who looked much like the rookie quarterback who set the all-time record for passing touchdowns by a rookie in the NFL last season. Miami hopes their jump to the top of the NFL Draft order will yield their own version of a promising franchise quarterback in 2020. That’s the blueprint the Dolphins have chosen to follow — the very same one that the Browns chose to follow in recent years. And with the immense gap in talent between these two teams on Sunday afternoon, this loss serves as a marker of hope for what the Dolphins could be when the process is complete.
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