Who’s hot, who’s not after the Dolphins’ 39-17 win over the Cleveland Browns
The Dolphins will head into the bye on a four-game winning streak after a 39-17 win over the Cleveland Browns at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
Here’s a look at who’s hot — and who’s not — after the victory.
Who’s hot
▪ Tua Tagovailoa: The third-year quarterback continued his blazing midseason stretch, throwing three touchdown passes for the third consecutive game. Though Tagovailoa has relied heavily on the duo of wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, he spread the ball around against the Browns, finding eight different pass-catchers. Since returning from a concussion, Tagovailoa has thrown 10 touchdowns with zero interceptions in four games. At multiple points Sunday, Tagovailoa was serenaded with “MVP” chants from the home crowd. It was a performance that only bolstered Tagovailoa’s case for the league’s top individual honor.
▪ Trent Sherfield: The veteran wide receiver has primarily contributed on special teams this season while logging snaps as the Dolphins’ No. 3 receiver. With Hill and Waddle usually taking the majority of the targets, there usually aren’t many more catches to go around for the remaining pass-catchers. However, with the tandem having quieter-than-usual outings, Sherfield stepped up with a season-best performance. He caught four passes for 63 yards and his first touchdown of the year, a toe-tapping grab in the corner of the end zone toward the end of the first half.
▪ Run offense: The Dolphins’ rushing offense had struggled to gain traction this season as the passing offense has taken center stage. But against the Browns, Miami ran for a season-high 195 yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Jeff Wilson Jr., in just his second game with the team, led the way with 119 rushing yards and one touchdown but Raheem Mostert also contributed 65 rushing yards and one score as both backs took advantage of the rushing lanes opened up by the offensive line. Miami’s offense has surged in recent weeks by passing the ball but unlocking the ground game has been the next step for the unit and the Dolphins’ offense took another significant stride forward on Sunday.
Who’s not
▪ Jason Sanders: Sanders made both of his field-goal attempts, but he missed a pair of extra-point attempts. Sanders hadn’t missed more than one extra point in a season entering 2021. He’s now missed seven kicks (four field goals, three extra points). The misses weren’t consequential in a blowout victory, but it continued a series of missteps for a Miami special teams unit that also allowed a long return on the opening kickoff.
▪ Defensive penalties: In what was one of the better all-around performances of the season for the Dolphins’ defense, penalties contributed to a pair of scoring drives for the Browns. On Cleveland’s opening possession, a neutral zone infraction penalty and then a defensive pass interference penalty assisted the Browns on their first touchdown. In the second half, a Browns drive that ended in a field goal was extended by a roughing the passer penalty on defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.
