Miami Dolphins (0-2) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Time/Date: 1:00 PM EST, September 25, 2011
Venue: Cleveland Browns Stadium
Broadcast: CBS
Dolphins vs. Browns Gambling Odds from BetOnline
Spread: Browns -2.5
Moneyline: Browns (-140) Dolphins (+120)
Over/Under: 41
The Miami Dolphins have lost 11 of their last 12 home games, so maybe they should be glad to hit the road for the first time this season. The Dawg Pound isn’t what it once was, but Cleveland Browns Stadium still isn’t an easy place to play. The Browns lost at home against the Bengals in week one, but they rebounded with a win at Indianapolis last week. Can the Dolphins get into the win column or will the Browns beat them for a second straight year?
Miami allowed 612 yards of total offense in week one against the Patriots. The defense played much better last week, but the offense only gained 306 total yards against the Texans. The Dolphins have just one takeaway over the first two games, but they have committed three costly turnovers. The offense has struggled when they get into the red zone, and that has really held this team back.
Chad Henne is the starting quarterback again this year, despite the fact that he isn’t popular at all with the fan base in Miami. Henne was very good in the opener against New England, but he was a little shaky last week. Daniel Thomas had a breakout game last week against the Texans. He and Reggie Bush will share time in the backfield this season. Brandon Marshall is still one of the best wide receivers in football, and the Dolphins need to get him the ball more often. The defense has some stars, but they need to perform more consistently.
Peyton Hillis is in the cover of this year’s Madden NFL game, and he continues to show just how good of a runner he is on a weekly basis. Hillis is faster than most people realize, and he fights for every last yard better than any other back in the league. Colt McCoy is the signal caller for the Browns. McCoy did a nice job in his rookie campaign with the team, and he is off to a pretty good start this year as well. The team would like to see him improve on his completion percentage, which sits at just 56.9%, but he is doing a good job taking care of the football. Josh Cribbs is the Browns best play maker, and the team needs to find more ways to get the ball in his hands.
D’Qwell Jackson leads the team with 16 tackles so far this year. Phil Taylor is second on the team with 7 tackles. Taylor was the Browns first round draft pick in this year’s draft, and he has looked good in his first two games with the team. The Browns secondary is young, but they are very talented. Cleveland currently ranks second in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. The front seven needs to improve against the run. As a whole, this defense seems to be slowly improving.
Both teams will try to run the football as much as possible in this one. Last year’s game finished at 13-10, and I think this year’s matchup will be another low scoring contest.
Free NFL Pick: Dolphins/Browns under 41
