SB Nation
  • Google+

SB Nation Cleveland

Stay connected for news and updates

Mike Adams Interception Leads To Game-Ending Field Goal...Browns Equal 2009 Win Total, Beat Miami, 13-10

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

  • Live
7 Total Updates since December 3, 2010
  • Important 5
  • Updates 7
  • All Updates 7

Final Mistake Belongs To The Dolphins; Browns Prevail

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Phil Dawson kicked the game-winning field goal with time running out, following a late interception of Chad Henne, to lift the Cleveland Browns to a 13-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

With just over a minute remaining, the Dolphins were deep in their own territory and not having much success. The game seemed destined for overtime, but Henne's pass was blocked and bounced to Browns defensive back Mike Adams.

Adams returned the ball to the two-yard line, and after Cleveland knelt the ball three times to run the clock down, Dawson kicked a 23-yard try through the uprights to give the Browns (5-7) their second consecutive win.

Jake Delhomme, starting his second game in a row in place of injured rookie Colt McCoy, completed 24-of-34 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown to Benjamin Watson. The tight end finished with 10 catches for 100 yards.

Henne passed for 174 yards and a score on 16-of-32 efficiency, but was intercepted three times as the Dolphins (6-6) fell to 1-5 at home this season. They played without wideout Brandon Marshall, who was inactive with a hamstring injury.

Dan Carpenter set a Miami franchise record by kicking a 60-yard field goal, though had a 41-yard attempt blocked on the game's opening drive.

The struggling offenses then engaged in a series of possessions that ended in punts. Of the teams' 14 first-half drives, eight ended in a punt and two ended with a Henne interception. His second pick came when he threw off-the-mark to Davone Bess and Abram Elam came down with the ball.

Elam returned the pick 18 yards to the Miami 28, and the Browns reached the 14 before Dawson kicked a 32-yard try with 1:43 left.

The Dolphins got on the board thanks to Carpenter's 60-yarder, which had just enough distance to get past the crossbar with two seconds on the clock.

Cleveland's only touchdown drive occurred late in the third quarter, when the Browns went 94 yards in six plays. The biggest gain was Delhomme's 37-yard pass to Mohamed Massaquoi, while Delhomme found Watson for a three-yard touchdown with 1:16 remaining.

Miami countered with its own TD drive, an 11-play, 80-drive progression. Henne finished it nearly five minutes into the final quarter with an 11-yard pass to tight end Anthony Fasano.

Browns rookie cornerback Joe Haden recorded an interception for the fourth consecutive game. That is the longest streak by a Browns player since Ernie Kellerman had a pickoff in six consecutive games in 1968...Dawson recorded the 14th game-winning field goal of his career...Cleveland linebacker Titus Brown left the game with a head injury and did not return...The Dolphins have lost three in a row to the Browns.

Continue

Browns Take The Lead, Up On Miami By A Touchdown After Three

The Browns got the ball first in the third quarter. Two runs, incomplete pass — three and out and a punt to the Dolphins after only a minute-and-a-half. Miami took over at their own 28.

After a first down, Miami stalled at their 45, and the Browns got the ball back at their 20 after a touchback.

For the first time all day, the Browns then put together a sustained drive, begun with a 20-yard Delhomme-to-Watson pass. The drive stalled with a Miami sack at the Dolphins’ 29 — and Phil Dawson missed from 47. Way to get RID OF THE BALL when you are deep in opponent’s territory rather than take a sack and have to try almost a 50-yarder.

After a nice drive for Cleveland, the game remained tied at three.

Miami took over at its own 37 after the missed field goal try. The Dolphins used a Henne pass to move into Cleveland territory, but the Browns stuffed Miami at the 46, and rather than try another monstrous field goal, Miami pinned the Browns at the six-yard line with a punt.

Jake Delhomme went to work then, with two long completions moving Cleveland into Miami territory, and a 33-yarder set the Browns up in the Red Zone at the Dolphins’ three. The 94-yard drive was capped off by a three-yard Ben Watson touchdown catch, and the Browns had the largest lead of the day at 10-3 with little more than a minute to go in the quarter.

As the period ended the Dolphins had advanced into Cleveland territory to the 46.

Continue

Browns, Dolphins Exchange Second-Period Field Goals, Tied At 3-3 At Halftime

As the second quarter started, Jake Delhomme hit Ben Watson with a key third-down pass to give the Browns field position at the Cleveland 30. But then — again — the Browns stalled, and Cleveland booted the ball back to Miami at the Dolphins’ 24.

Joe Hadcen immediately intercepted Chad Henne, setting the Browns up at the Cleveland 36-yard line. The “reward” for this turnover was an immediate three-and-out. Once again, a punt to the Dolphins, who this time took over at the Miami 20.

A Miami penalty send the Dolphins backwards, and the Browns were able to hold and get the ball back in what was becoming a Punt Fest at the Cleveland 41 on a nice Josh Cribbs return. If nothing else the Browns had the edge, at this point, in the field position battle.

A Peyton Hillis run gave the Browns a first down in Miami territory as the mid-point of the quarter approached. But then Cleveland stalled again at the Miami 42, just on the outside of realistic field goal range. Reggie Hodges pinned the Dolphins at their own one-yard line, but it was an opportunity missed.

Two Miami first downs followed before an Abram Elam interception put the Browns in business at the Dolphins’ 28 yard line with a little less than four minutes left in the half.

Jake Delhomme hit Ben Watson with another third down conversion as the Browns entered the Red Zone at the Miami 18 just before the two-minute warning was given to both benches.

The Browns stalled at the 14, and Phil Dawson put the first points of the afternoon on the board with a 32-yard field goal with 1:43 left in the half.

After the kickoff the Dolphins moved deep into Cleveland territory, but went backwards to the 46 after a penalty. From the 42, Miami got a 60-yard field goal from Dan Carpenter with two seconds left in the half to send the teams to the intermission tied at 3-3.

Continue

Browns And Dolphins Scoreless After One In Miami

The Browns got off to a good start today on defense, ending the Miami Dolphins’ first drive with a blocked field-goal attempt after Miami gathered three first downs out of the chute.

The Browns then went three-and-out, giving the Dolphins the ball back at the Miami 18 after a punt. The Browns stopped the Dolphins near midfield and got the ball back with a little more than five minutes to go in the quarter — after a Miami punt — at the Cleveland six-yard line.

Peyton Hillis gave the Browns better field position with a first-down run, but Cleveland once again stalled, and the second punt of the game for the Browns gave Miami the ball at the Dolphins’ 30.

Miami’s running game got rolling again, and a Chad Henne short pass moved Miami to midfield. An incompletion left the Dolphins with 4th and one at the Cleveland 49, Miami chose not to risk it, and punted again to the Browns as the scoreless quarter wound down.

Jake Delhomme in 3-of-4 but for only 11 yards after the opening quarter, while Peyton Hillis has 16 yards on four carries. Miami has five first downs, and the Browns have been held to one

Continue

Cleveland Browns at Miami Dolphins Scouting Report

Though they are currently on the outside looking in, the Miami Dolphins could be the predator when it comes to the playoff race. They’ve managed to keep their heads, and their record above water at 6-5 despite injuries to the starting, and second string quarterbacks, and now, star off season acquisition Brandon Marshall. The team hasn’t even gotten its best performances from its running game either, which is their bread and butter; yet still they cling to post season life. An individual tail back is yet to post a 100 yard rushing game all season. In 2009 back up Ricky Williams had four, and injury prone Ronnie Brown added a pair. Those numbers have not even come close to being replicated in 2010, but it hasn’t slowed the Dolphins down at all.

In fact, they are on pace to have a better season this year than last season. Why? Here are a few reasons.

They are 5-1 on the road: They’ve decorated that category with wins at Green Bay, Oakland, Minnesota, and Tennessee. If the Fins could only be descent at Dolphin’s Stadium, they would be one of the better teams in the AFC. But with the Jets and Patriots being inconveniently located within their division, this is unlikely to occur.

They play great defense: Sixth overall in total defense, and fourth against the pass. In an age where in the NFL the gunslingers dominate the offensive attack, Miami is one of few teams that have figured it out. Permitting just over 201 yards per competition, opposing quarterbacks struggle not only to make explosive plays deep down field, but struggle to move the chains also. Miami has managed 27 sacks in 11 games, 11 of those sacks courtesy of up and coming linebacker Cameron Wake. Free agent signee Karlos Dansby leads the way with 80 tackles.

They have not had stability under center: But they still find ways to put wins in the books. Though the current train of thought is that Tyler Thigpen, with his 21 career games of experience, is not the answer to a playoff run, injured Opening day starter Chad Henne has done a much better job. This team so desperately needs him to play at a high level to have a chance. Having a healthy Brandon Marshall, who can be one of, if not the best receiver in the game at times, would help too.

Don’t look for Miami to get their first 100 yard rushing game against Cleveland on Sunday. The Browns have limited the number of opposing running backs that have gone over the century mark against them.

The Key for Browns is to be multi-dimensional against the Dolphins defense. They play extremely well against the pass, which would lead them to focus in on Peyton Hillis. If the Browns allow them to do that, offensively, they don’t stand much of a chance. But this young Brown’s receiving core acknowledges that they have to become more of an integral part of the team’s offense for more offensive production. The Dolphins, on the other hand, need to get a push up front at the line of scrimmage to increase their winning hopes. Nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin and Shaun Rogers have been penetrating the line, stuffing the run before it even happens. Miami loves to run the ball; they are better off running to the outsides and in the flat.

This will physically be a grind for both teams, as their future battle wounds will clarify. But it is one where the Browns can pull it out, hoping for two in a row.

Continue

Photographs by spatulated, Triple Tri, and chrischappelear used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.