Browns Take Their Talents To South Beach To Face Dolphins

Chris Carlson - AP

about 1 year ago: Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne throws against the San Diego Chargers in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in San Diego. Henne replaced quarterback Chad Pennington who had injured his right shoulder. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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Cleveland will try to win their second straight game after last week's nail-biter over the Carolina Panthers

 

On one side, it's whos there. On the other, it's who's not.

The Miami Dolphins represent the former, and with the imminent returns of wide receiver Brandon Marshall and defensive end Phillip Merling, that could spell trouble for late-season opponents such as this Sunday's foe, the visiting Cleveland Browns.

Merling was activated Tuesday from the reserve/non-football injury list after being shelved since Aug. 31. Marshall, meanwhile, injured a hamstring during a Week 13 loss to Chicago and was lost for last Sunday's 33-17 defeat of the Oakland Raiders.

Also back for that win was quarterback Chad Henne, who threw for 307 yards in helping the Dolphins climb back over the .500 mark and back into the fringes of contention in the AFC's muddled Wild Card playoff race.

Miami opened the season with two straight wins, followed them with two straight losses, and has since alternated W's and L's. It sits two games off the 8-3 pace of the current leader for the conference's final Wild Card spot, the Pittsburgh Steelers, with five to play, and is three in back of both the New York Jets and New England Patriots, who share the top spot in the AFC East at 9-2.

The Dolphins finish with three divisional games in their final four weeks, including a trip to New York, a home date with Buffalo and a season-ending trip to New England.

"Getting Phillip Merling back [at Wednesday's practice] was really good," Miami head coach Tony Sparano said. "I was kind of kidding those guys. I said, 'Well, the boys are back in town.' We finally got that group together that we've seen in [offseason training activities]."

For Cleveland, the absence of quarterback Colt McCoy is making few feel fonder. The University of Texas rookie was lost to a high ankle sprain during a Week 11 loss to Jacksonville and did not play in last Sunday's 24-23 win over 1-10 Carolina.

Former Panther Jake Delhomme piloted the Browns to that one-point victory and has taken first-team snaps this week while McCoy, who's listed as questionable, endured the recovery process. Head coach Eric Mangini said the youngster has made progress and would be monitored heading into the weekend.

"Colt's moving along, but we'll see how it goes during the week," Mangini said. "From where we were last week to where we are now, we've made a pretty big jump."

Delhomme, who hadn't started since Week 1 because of a high ankle sprain of his own, was 24-of-35 against Carolina with two interceptions, giving him six picks this season against only one touchdown pass.

"There were a ton of good plays there," Mangini said. "[Delhomme] moved the offense really well. I thought the offense as a group, the communication, the way everyone was on the same page comes from the quarterback."

Also prepping for a comeback this week is wide receiver/kick returner Josh Cribbs, who missed the Jacksonville game and failed to make an impact against the Panthers because of a foot injury. Cribbs is also listed as questionable.

"I'm looking forward to getting Josh back out there, not just with [returning] kicks, but at receiver," Mangini said. "He does present some problems teams have to prepare for."

SERIES HISTORY

Miami holds a slim 7-6 in its all-time regular-season series with Cleveland, but the Browns have won their last three games played against the Dolphins, all of which were held in Ohio. Cleveland has lost in each of its last three non-playoff stops in Miami, however, and hasn't emerged victorious in South Florida since 1970. The Browns were dealt a 10-7 defeat in their most recent trip to Miami, which took place in 2004, but pinned a 41-31 loss on the Dolphins during the 2007 season in the last showdown between the teams.

The Dolphins have prevailed in each of their two postseason encounters with the Browns, posting AFC Divisional Playoff wins at home in both 1972 and 1985.

Mangini sports a 5-1 lifetime record against Miami, including a 3-0 mark on the road, with all of those game taking place during his time with the New York Jets from 2006-08. Sparano has never previously faced the Browns, but is 1-1 in head-to-head matchups with Mangini as a head coach.

WHEN THE BROWNS HAVE THE BALL

Statistically speaking, the numbers are fairly similar across the line of scrimmage for Cleveland. The Browns average 19.6 points per game while the Dolphins allow 20.5, and generate 310.3 total yards per week while Miami surrenders 305.3. Specifically, Cleveland goes for 193.5 yards per game through the air (28th overall) and 116.8 on the ground (12th overall). Miami, on the other hand, is fourth-best in the league against the pass with a 201.4 yards per game average and 14th in the league against the run with a weekly total of 103.9 yards per game allowed.

Assuming he gets the start, Delhomme tries to follow up on one career game against the Dolphins in which he had 285 passing yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 97.9 passer rating. Running back Peyton Hillis rushed for 131 yards and three scores last week and added six catches for 63 yards, joining Marshall Faulk as the only player in NFL history to record at least 130 rushing yards, three rushing scores, six receptions and 60 receiving yards in a game. He also joins Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly as the only Browns to rush for at least 11 touchdowns in season. Elsewhere, wideout Brian Robiskie had a career-best seven catches last week and tight end Benjamin Watson has three career touchdown receptions vs. Miami, his second-most against any opponent.

For Miami, safety Chris Clemons had the first interception of his career in Week 12. Outside linebacker Cameron Wake aims for a third straight game with a sack and can add to his career-best 10 1/2 this season, while linebacker Karlos Dansby leads the team with 80 tackles.

WHEN THE DOLPHINS HAVE THE BALL

Miami scores 18.6 points per week and generates 341.5 total yards per game, totals that are 28th and 16th in the league, respectively. The Browns' average of 20.8 points per week allowed is 13th-best in the NFL, though their yardage total of 356.7 per game is just 22nd. The Dolphins are middle of the road with both the pass and run, compiling 235.6 and 105.9 yards per game to place 14th and 19th, respectively. Cleveland is similarly pedestrian, allowing 237.2 yards a game via the pass and 119.5 on the ground for the 19th and 21st-best numbers.

Since returning to the fold in relief of Chad Pennington a few weeks back, Henne has completed 36-of-58 passes for 547 yards with three touchdowns, two interceptions and a 96.0 passer rating. He posted his third 300-yard passing game of the season last week, as well as the sixth of his career. The Dolphins had a season-high 186 rushing yards last week, with running back Ronnie Brown gaining 101 yards in his last game against the Browns. Backfield mate Ricky Williams had a season-long 45-yard touchdown run last week. Wideout Marshall has a touchdown catch in two of three career meetings with the Browns, while second receiver Davone Bess had the second 100-yard receiving game of his career last week (111 yards). He leads the AFC and ranks second in the NFL with 24 receptions on third down. Wideout Brian Hartline, an Ohio native, has 70-plus receiving yards in each of his past four games and rookie Marlon Moore scored his first touchdown last week on a 57-yard catch.

Among Browns notables on defense, linebacker Matt Roth was selected by the Dolphins in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft and played in 65 games with Miami. Rookie cornerback Joe Haden, a Florida alum and No. 7 overall pick in last April's draft, is the first Browns player with interceptions in three consecutive games in his first NFL season since Bernie Parrish. Safety Abram Elam had a career-high pair of sacks last week.

FANTASY FOCUS

For the Browns, the starting quarterback doesn't mean as much to fantasy players as it does to fans of the team. The same cannot be said of Hillis, however, who's become a must-start in all leagues. Watson is starting to come around as a tight end, though kicker Phil Dawson and the Cleveland defense are risky at best. For Miami, Henne faces an iffy secondary and could exceed last week's big numbers if Marshall returns near 100 percent. Ronnie Brown and Williams will split carries and against a better Cleveland run defense, may not fare as well as with Oakland. Marshall and Bess are solid starters, while Hartline, kicker Dan Carpenter and the Dolphins defense range anywhere from lukewarm to comfortable options.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

As much as any team in football, the Dolphins are hard to read. Two weeks ago, they were completely inept in a shutout loss to Chicago. Last week, they score 33 points against the Raiders. The return of Henne is likely responsible for the uptick, and with Marshall back and the run game beginning to fire on all cylinders, Miami can suddenly appear dangerous again in the big AFC Wild Card picture. A win here furthers that momentum.

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Browns Survive Late Panthers Rally To Win 24-23

David Richard - AP

4 days ago: FILE - This Oct. 10, 2010, file photo shows Cleveland Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) going back to pass against the Atlanta Falcons during an NFL football game in Cleveland. With Colt McCoy out with a high left ankle sprain, Delhomme, who has been inactive for eight games because of a similar injury, will start Sunday against his former team, the Carolina Panthers. (AP Photo/David Richard, File)

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Peyton Hillis scores 3 TDs in the first half against Carolina to lead the Browns

Berea, OH (Sports Network) - Jake Delhomme will be the starting quarterback Sunday when the Cleveland Browns face his old team, the Carolina Panthers.

Rookie Colt McCoy is bothered by an ankle injury he sustained last week against Jacksonville. McCoy had started each of the last five games.

Delhomme spent seven seasons with Carolina before signing with Cleveland in March. He began this season as the Browns' starting quarterback, but suffered a high ankle sprain in the opener against Tampa Bay and has appeared in just one game since, aggravating the injury in Week 5 against Atlanta.

"He's done a good job this week and I'm excited about him playing against a team he's had a lot of familiarity with," said Browns head coach Eric Mangini on Friday.

Delhomme completed 20-of-37 passes for 227 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in his lone start this year. He then spelled an injured Seneca Wallace against the Falcons on October 10 and threw for 97 yards with two picks on 13-of-23 passing.

Wallace, who started four games after Delhomme was hurt, was also in the mix for starting this week's game. He injured his ankle against Atlanta, leading to McCoy's emergence as the starter.

"Ideally, you'd like to have one guy for 16 games if you could," Mangini added. "We just really haven't it."

McCoy has thrown for 975 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions while leading the Browns to two of their three wins this season.

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Grading The Positions From The Jets vs. Browns Game

Matt Sullivan - Getty Images

2 days ago: CLEVELAND - NOVEMBER 14: Quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Cleveland Browns throws to a receiver against the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium on November 14 2010 in Cleveland Ohio. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

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How did the Cleveland Browns do in their 26-20 loss to the New York Jets?

After big wins over the Saints and the Patriots, the Cleveland Browns fell victim to the New York Jets 26-20 in the final seconds of overtime. How did each positional unit perform during the game? It's time to grade the positions once again with a "Pass" or "Fail." The grades focus on the unit's performance for that particular week.

OFFENSE

• QB (PASS):When was the last time a Browns quarterback led a touchdown-scoring drive with under two minutes to play? Colt McCoy had another solid game and wasn't fazed by the Jets' defense. He made the decisions necessary to move to 3-1 at quarterback, but now he's back to .500.
   
• RB (PASS):While he didn't get as many carries as he did against New England thanks to the Jets controlling the clock in the second half, Peyton Hillis continued running hard en route to a stellar day. It doesn't matter what defense he faces -- he'll make his presence felt.
   
• WR (FAIL):You have to feel bad for Chansi Stuckey, but his fumble in overtime stands out as a moment that really hurts. It seemed like the gameplan involved McCoy not even bothering to mess with the Jet corners, so that means the other wide receivers were mostly invisible.
   
• TE (PASS):The tight ends were McCoy's go-to-guys. Ben Watson led the team in receptions and had plenty of yards after the catch. Evan Moore had a late catch while covered by Revis. Even Robert Royal caught a pass early on in the game.
   
• OL (PASS):The pocket caved on McCoy a couple of times, but overall the protection was there and the run blocking was there for Hillis. The Jets seemed to blitz a little less once they saw they couldn't get past Cleveland's line.

DEFENSE

• DL (FAIL):Shaun Rogers had a chance to bring Mark Sanchez down in overtime, but he didn't. There were other opportunities as well to bring Sanchez down, but the defensive line made him seem like Ben Roethlisberger out there.
   
• LB (FAIL):Losing Scott Fujita in the second quarter hurt. The Browns had trouble covering the running backs out of the backfield, and when it came to stopping the run on third down, the Browns didn't have the "big play stop" they've been accustomed to from the linebacker position.
   
• DB (FAIL):While they didn't play terrible, the lack of plays stands out -- T.J. Ward and Abram Elam both dropped interceptions that led to field goals. On Santonio Holmes' game-winning touchdown catch-and-run, Eric Wright and Ward both had cracks at making the tackle but didn't. The unit also lost Sheldon Brown early on.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• ST (PASS): Phil Dawson and Reggie Hodges did their jobs, and Joe Haden filled in nicely on kickoff returns. Special teams didn't stand out, but they did have a negative play in a failed surprise onside kick. At least they didn't miss three field goals like Nick Folk did.

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Early Scenarios Wherein The Browns Make The Play...

Matt Sullivan - Getty Images

1 day ago: CLEVELAND - NOVEMBER 14: Quarterback Colt McCoy #12 of the Cleveland Browns throws to a receiver against the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium on November 14 2010 in Cleveland Ohio. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

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In the aftermath of a bitter loss -- hope beyond hope for a miracle finish to the Browns' season?

Something quite different this week from the normal Top Five: More like a Top Two, or maybe a Top Three or even a Top Four...a quite early look at a miracle's possibilities.

I felt bitterness yesterday, bitterness that I have not felt about a Browns' game since the loss to the Steelers in the playoffs after the 2002 season, when the Browns had a nice lead and just could not hold it.

Does this bitterness over a game in November mean that I am more of a fan now than I have been for eight years? No, I have always been -- and will always be -- a Browns fan. Nothing could change that if losing the original Browns to Baltimore did not drive it out of me. Maybe what I felt was disappointment because this team is starting to make me believe in it.

Today, rather than dwell much more on the bitter loss to the Jets, I will put on my optimist's hat and go way out on a limb and find hope in Cleveland perhaps still making the playoffs this year. A long shot? You bet, but until there is no hope, any hope is better than none at all, which is right about where we were last year by this time with our 1-8 team.

So let's take a very early look around the AFC, and let's try to find some reasons why the Browns, with the right set of circumstances breaking their way, could still be in the post-season.

One more thing: This will require a suspension of disbelief on our part...we are going to have to try to imagine the Browns running the table from here on out. I can't believe I am considering that possibility, but after the last three games I am convinced that it is possible. The Jets' game actually did the convincing, because, while the Browns most definitely  sneaked up on the Saints, and perhaps the Patriots as well, there is just no way that New York was not aware of what the Browns were capable of before that game yesterday, and even so, without a fumble in overtime, that game was there for the taking. And there is no team on the remaining schedule any better than the last three teams -- and that includes the Ravens and the Steelers.

So -- let's say that the Browns win out and finish 10-6....

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#2 (?) -- Winning the AFC North

This is a long-shot, granted, even if the Browns go 10-6. Right now Baltimore and Pittsburgh are 6-3, and to pass both of them -- or to catch both and win tie-breakers -- would take some real doing. But after watching Pittsburgh last night, you have to wonder if the Steelers are not remembering their second-half swoon from last year.

Of course there is a game left with both the Ravens and the Steelers. Win them both and both teams have a sure four losses. And because Pittsburgh and Baltimore play each other again, one of them is assured of at least five losses (remember, we are assuming the Browns run the table -- important to keep that in mind when I say something like "one of them is assured of at least five losses").

Baltimore still has a game left with New Orleans. No sure win there. So if Pittsburgh were to beat the Ravens and Baltimore fell to the Saints -- bingo, at least six losses for the Ravens, and a likely 3-3 divisional record...worse than the Browns 4-2 in the division.

Let's run with that "if Pittsburgh were to beat the Ravens"...are there two likely losses on the remaining Steelers' schedule besides the Browns' game? This one is a little more of a stretch. The Steelers do have a match-up with the Jets down the road (five losses?). Maybe Cincinnati gets it together and wins in Pittsburgh and the Steelers also end up 3-3 in the division.

And with the above two scenarios -- even if all three teams ended up 10-6 -- the Browns would win with the best divisional record.

And of course the Steelers have Oakland this week...suddenly not a sure thing.

#1 (?) -- Winning A Wild Card Berth

If you follow football at all you know how wacky the playoff possibilities can get during the final weeks. I will not sit here and pretend that it is not possible that my scenario here could backfire if -- say -- the Raiders had to beat the Chiefs by 183 points in the season finale to win the tie-breaker for the Browns. When records against common opponents are thrown into the mix, or point differential in common games, or some such exotic scenario, all bets are off.

So, for the sake of simplicity, let's just see if our 10-6 Cleveland Browns could get in without needing a degree in mathematics and quantum physics to figure out a seven-team tie or something. In other words -- let's stick to a two-team tie for a playoff spot.

Trust me, if I am allowed to, I will be all over the playoff scenarios when that time comes. For now, we are living in a "what-if" kind of dream. Let's run with that. shall we?

To simplify even further, I am going to concede a wild-card spot to the team that does not win the AFC East. The Jets and the Patriots are both 7-2...let's not "hope" that one of them loses four games so the Browns could catch them. Even if that were the case and we caught the Jets -- sorry, folks, New York has the tie-breaker over Cleveland.

Four division champions and either the Jets or the Patriots a wild-card...leaves one spot.

The Browns are only two games behind  five teams right now, and one of those five will likely win the West...so let's say two games behind four teams we would have to catch.

One of those teams is Miami. In my scenario the Browns have beaten Miami. That is five losses for the Dolphins -- who still have to play the Jets and New England.

Another of those teams is Jacksonville, who the Browns also beat (next week) in my scenario. Who else do the Jaguars need to be worried about? How about the Giants, Tennessee and Indianapolis? Daunting schedule there.

That is two out of the four that the Browns play. The other three (2+3=5, I know, I know, but remember, one of those five in my scenario wins the West) are Kansas City, Oakland, and Tennessee.

The Chiefs already beat the Browns...we don't want to finish tied with Kansas City any more than we want to finish tied with the Jets. So Go Chiefs -- win your division and make yourselves moot in this discussion.

Let's say K.C. does win the West (although after that performance yesterday in Denver, that isn't looking really promising). Now we are left with two teams: the Tennessee Titans and the Oakland Raiders, neither of which plays Cleveland this year.

Right now Oakland is 3-2 in the conference, and both Cleveland and Tennessee are 2-4 in the conference. Ergo, if we "catch the Titans" -- they will have to (in my scenario) have a worse conference record than the Browns.

Which leaves the Raiders.

In the conference, Oakland has the Steelers, the Dolphins, the Chargers, the Jaguars, the Broncos, the Colts and the Chiefs. Do you see two conference losses in that gauntlet? Yes, so do I.

And of course, in my above scenarios, any of the 5-4 teams that finish 9-7 finish behind the Browns.

                                                                    **********************************************

And there we have it. Call it self-therapy if you will. Call it dreaming. Call it ridiculous or a juvenile hope.

I really don't mind, because, you see, I have managed to find a way to wash away the bitterness of yesterday, and a reason to look forward with great eagerness to the Jacksonville game next weekend -- as, perhaps, the first step toward a miracle.

Top Five? Maybe it will come down to five possible scenarios somewhere around Week Sixteen. Or maybe this was just a Top Two...and we have not even considered that Denver could run the table and finish 10-6 as well and win the West, or maybe the Chargers will take it and K.C. is in the wild card mix and...  -- oh the humanity! But I did not want to overwhelm anyone just yet (including myself).

Either way, I hope that somewhere in all these words, you saw something that said to you "Hey, we can do this!"

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