Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins: Positional Breakdown & Notes

by Chris Pokorny on Dec 4, 2010 6:53 PM EST in General News

Dolphins LB Cameron Wake has delivered a big-time pass rush for the team this season, and we have to worry about John St. Clair blocking him.

The Cleveland Browns face two big questions when they take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday:

Will Jake Delhomme throw another pick six?
Will the defense go for the tackle instead of the strip?

The Dolphins are a tough team to beat, but Cleveland has shown when they can do if they don't beat themselves. If Cleveland learns from their mistakes and the coaches' messages are able to translate to the fourth quarter of the game, Cleveland can pull off the victory. Will they be able to do it?

Here are some notes heading into the game, followed by my positional breakdown and prediction for the game:

If Joshua Cribbs has limited pain against the Dolphins and is able to play the receiver position too, that will be a huge plus. Miami is not very good at defending kick returns, and Cribbs is the receiver who can stretch the field and deliver some nice blocks for Peyton Hillis.
It'll be interesting to see which defensive back gets the assignment of covering Brandon Marshall.
I know we didn't see Seneca Wallace at all last week, but the Cyclone was intended to appear with Jake Delhomme and Joshua Cribbs in the game. With Wallace supposedly still limited last week and Cribbs extremely limited, the formation was not utilized at all. Maybe the concept has been completely scrapped, but if Cribbs, Wallace, and Delhomme are all healthy, this will be the first time that has been the case since Week 1. Cribbs noted that the warm weather in Miami should help with any pain too.
If we're still talking far-fetched playoff scenarios, Baltimore has the tougher schedule the rest of the way, so I'm "rooting" for Pittsburgh to beat Baltimore on Sunday Night Football.
Chad Henne was limited by a knee injury when it came to his mobility last week, so Miami inserted Tyler Thigpen into the game for some quarterback draws. The Browns need to be aware of this if Henne is still hobbled -- force pressure on him in the pocket like they did to Jimmy Clausen last week, and if Thigpen is in the game, have a QB spy ready.
We'll we see Jordan Norwood active as a receiver instead of Carlton Mitchell this week? What about our new safety?

Position-by-Position Breakdown

Pos	Adv	Reason
QB		It has not been a great season for Chad Henne. If you recall, he was benched three weeks ago for Chad Pennington. Pennington suffered an injury just as soon as he entered the game, allowing Henne to reclaim the starting job. Maybe that lit a fire under Henne, because he has played a little better since then. There's no secret that Henne will put the ball in the air, but he hasn't been able to connect with his receivers in the red zone. While I am still compelled by what Jake Delhomme does at certain points of the game, there's no way the Browns can be favored here with a quarterback who is averaging one or two pick sixes a week. Henne just has trouble scoring touchdowns, but that's safer than giving the other team a free touchdown.
RB		The Browns had their worst game of the season in terms of defending the run last week, which would seem to bode well for the duo of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown. Williams has performed a little better than Brown this year, but Brown is still the featured back. The Browns get the advantage here because Peyton Hillis is a machine, and because Miami's running game has been too hot and cold. Not having the Wildcat be as effective as it used to be has hurt them a little, but the formation had a mini-comeback against Oakland last week since Henne is hobbled.
WR TE		In terms of talent, I don't think any quarterback would turn down having a target like Brandon Marshall to throw the football too. Marshall leads the team in receptions, but he has only reached the end zone once. Miami has three other receivers who are targeted often -- Davone Bess, Brian Hartline, and Anthony Fasano. While I'm not saying none of them will catch a deep ball, overall, I think of Miami's receivers as being good possession receivers. We know the deal with Cleveland's wideouts. Brian Robiskie saw more targets last week with Delhomme in the lineup, and I expect that to continue this week. If Joshua Cribbs is running better, he should be able to contribute too, perhaps on some go routes.
OL		I hesitated giving Cleveland the advantage here because the right side of the line, due to John St. Clair, still makes me nervous. Miami has a pretty talented line overall, but their linemen have been playing hurt. Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long has been bothered by a shoulder injury, preventing him from playing as good as he is capable of playing. Right tackle Vernon Carey is trying to tough things out with a knee injury. Rookie right guard John Jerry hasn't played exceptionally well.
DL		The Dolphins have done a good job at occupying blocks to allow their linebackers to stop opposing running backs. I wish the Browns had some more options at defensive end, but it is clearly a position to address in the future given there is no youth there.
LB		This is the unit that has received a lot of praise this season. Outside linebacker Cameron Wake has emerged as a serious pass rushing threat, as he leads the AFC with 11 sacks. The scary part? He usually rushes from the side that St. Clair will be on. Karlos Dansby is great at inside linebacker, but his injury status is something to watch. He is battling a turf toe and a wrist injury, which forced him to only play limited downs against Oakland. For Cleveland, it's all about the need to start tackling well again, something that has been a problem since Scott Fujita's injury.
DB		Miami also does a pretty good job at defending the pass, thanks to cornerback Vontae Davis. He is their premiere cover guy, and the team recently added veteran Al Harris as depth. At safety, Chris Clemons and Yeremiah Bell are not necessarily a weakness, but the secondary in general does not create a whole lot of turnovers. I've love the way the unit of Joe Haden, Sheldon Brown, T.J. Ward, and Abram Elam have been playing, but Miami is a little deeper at receiver than Carolina and Jacksonville were and I'm iffy on the return of Eric Wright to the lineup.
ST		Cleveland is starting to give up a couple of decent-sized returns on punts, which concerns me. The kickoff coverage is still very good, and Phil Dawson and Reggie Hodges remain reliable. Dan Carpenter leads the league in field goals for Miami. The Dolphins have struggled at times with their kick coverage units, yielding two touchdowns and an average of 26.3 yards per return.

Miami has not been getting the job done at home this year, and their red zone offense has struggled against most of the teams in the league. If Cleveland can get through this game without a pick six from Delhomme, I like Peyton Hillis and Mike Bell to both receive a fair amount of carries en route to victory.

FINAL PREDICTION: Cleveland Browns 20, Miami Dolphins 13.
CHRIS' RECORD IN PICKING BROWNS GAMES: 6-5
CHRIS' OVERALL NFL PREDICTIONS RECORD: 108-68

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Comments

- delhomme pick 6: 100% guarantee that he throws one
- tackling: will be much improved b/c mangini and ryan have been chewing their asses all week

i’m still optimistic about this browns team and expect them to figure out a way to win 7 games, but i think they’ve “come back to earth” a bit, so to speak. beating NO and NE was awesome, but that’s not where this team is. miami isn’t great, but they’re significantly more talented than the browns are at this point and are coming off of their best week of the year.

dolphins 23 – browns 16

by DontCallMeJoey on Dec 4, 2010 7:03 PM EST reply actions

Towards the end of Delhomme to start Sunday on clevelandbrowns.com “Wright, Womack and Vickers are probable for Sunday …” So maybe we won’t have to worry about St. Claire at RT.

I am effing hurdling you and you can't stop me.

by JustBob on Dec 4, 2010 7:52 PM EST reply actions

I believe Womack played at RG last week, meaning him playing wouldn’t change St. Clair at RT.

Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.

by Chris Pokorny on Dec 4, 2010 8:47 PM EST up reply actions

My biggest hope for this game is that Lauvao is healthy and playing at RG so Womack can play RT. If we can keep pressure off of Delhomme maybe he won’t throw a pick-six. I hope…..

I’m always optimistic, but I think it will be 16-20 in favor of the Browns.

by Legoman0721 on Dec 4, 2010 11:18 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Eh, I’m not that optimistic going into tomorrow. Think the score will be what you said, but with Miami winning.

by BuenosAires_Dawg on Dec 4, 2010 7:53 PM EST reply actions

Fujita has been downgraded to “Out” for the game. I really hope he’s able to come back for the end of the season divisional games.

by DisplacedBuckeye on Dec 4, 2010 8:28 PM EST reply actions

They need to save him for the playoffs.

Ye damned whale!

by elsandito on Dec 4, 2010 10:01 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

What’s the likelihood that the Browns get a pick 6 this week? The secondary has been dangerous at times.

by SBP on Dec 4, 2010 9:08 PM EST reply actions

there are just certain mis-matches that terrify me.

Cameron Wake vs. St. Clai/Delhomme

B. Marshall (not that he’s done anything all year)/Devone Bess vs Eric Wright

Daboll vs Himself/Common sense.

i feel like the Dolphins are an enigma. And coming off draining games with the Jets anc Carolina, i feel like this one (and any playoff hopes) gets lost in the shuffle.

Hope some mans up, plays bigs, and proves me wrong.

by discoinferno083 on Dec 4, 2010 9:14 PM EST reply actions

Cameron looks like he needs more fiber in his diet.

"Quote goes here."

by Adrock2099 on Dec 4, 2010 9:49 PM EST reply actions 4 recs

Well played.

Anderception [an·der·cep·tion] -noun
1. the logical end result of a Derek Anderson pass

by Simmsinns on Dec 4, 2010 10:44 PM EST up reply actions

ah. because of the picture.

um. Funny.

by discoinferno083 on Dec 4, 2010 10:45 PM EST up reply actions

I agree about Delhomme. Odds are, he will throw at least two picks, one of which will probably be a pick six. Miami has not been all that great at home this year, so we do have that going for us. I say Browns 17 Miami 14, they just get by.

by duke4711 on Dec 4, 2010 11:00 PM EST reply actions

Delhomme sucks, the defense doesn’t, the Browns win 24-16 with at least 3 turnovers created by the D.

Moisture is the essence of wetness.

by troy145 on Dec 4, 2010 11:51 PM EST reply actions

Is that D for delhomme or for defense?

Just kidding i know who its for… but man you could see it both ways, eh?

The only reason Joe Thomas didn’t catch that ball was because the ball was too afraid to come near him.

by the_fox_and_the_browns on Dec 5, 2010 2:59 AM EST up reply actions

I’ll go with this. Good combination of optimism and realism. Jake continues to give me migraines, and I can’t reasonably predict that changing today.

Never underestimate the powers of Josh Cribbs.

by RelapsingDawgCatcher on Dec 5, 2010 9:07 AM EST up reply actions

Missed on the score, but nailed the 3 turnovers.

Moisture is the essence of wetness.

by troy145 on Dec 5, 2010 4:07 PM EST up reply actions

Delhomme got to play it his style last week, successfully, albeit not spectacularly. I maintain, if Colt McCoy is hurt not injured, he has to continue asserting himself and establishing how he will play the position. That is loose and limber in the pocket, arm cocked ready to scramble outside the pocket, I hope.
I don´t think we have to peg a style of play on one player, such as Cribbs being portrayed as the only receiver that will block. Or the combo of Delhomme/Cribbs being the only ones capable of implementing a set of plays, the supposedly so vaunted one-up-manship on the wildcat, the cyclone. I know it´s cool to say now we can finally play it a certain way, because so and so, who is so much better at it, is back. But we like to prepare our players to be well rounded. So no excuses in execution.
Norwood is talented, but do you see him wringing the slot spot from Stuckey, Engram and Massaquoi pan-ultimately? Mitchell was awesome in college. Why don´t we keep pretending other teams don´t covet him into starting right away, why don´t we?
My advice to Hillis: Be careful and conserve some energy, the fans are jubilous about you, but more like the Gladiators of old Rome, seeing you as vulnerable. How about this mantra while you´re huffing and puffing: “Are you not entertained?” rather than Thomas the locomotive: “I know I can, I know I can…”, till the engine blows. Please adapt your play, in deference to the prevalent, Barry Sanders the second at single/feature back, but as the white hillbilly on roids mentality. Hopefully you can tweak your play, more in tune with the preferable mind set, fullback that can carry the ball effectively on dives. Visualize, actualize in that regard.
While I´m a bit peeved at our entitlement schematics at defensive back, lets just go with it and plug image depleted Piscatelli in at free safety, and see if the fates prevail in our favor. I hate the thug in lurking cover cornerback attitude, but since that´s it, I´d vote Wright and Haden, over the second rounder Ward, even though he is the one that has the proverbial “knack” for hitting.
At linebacker, for lack of better personnel at outside linebacker, I advocate plugging in Maiava and Barton, to have even a glimmer of hope for covering ground outside the offensive tackles. Inside the somewhat unwieldy, yet pugnacious Trusnik and Roth, for now. Rogers and Elam are Browns for life, in sane Browns living rooms around the nation or even the world, lets go for longevity out of them.
Disruption, with a several tier deep set-up, and a ground covered, guy defeated, attitude, seems like a good bet on defense against the Dolphins.
On offense, rotate, rotate, rotate personnel. Adapt play-calling on the field, short, middle and long options, unpredictable cuts on the routes. Spread the wealth, then feature the game changers. Playfully aware at tall positions.
Go Browns! Win hearts and minds and good intentions, if not games.

by mooncamping on Dec 5, 2010 7:48 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Hey Moon. I love it when you post stuff. It cracks me up the way you try to forcibly insert words into sentences and it blows up the whole sentence. Great stuff man. Anyway, here’s the thing: Maiava is IR’d and Engram didn’t make it out of camp. You should, probably, you know, kind of follow the Browns to type up a 1000 word essay. I’m not sayin’…… I’m just sayin’…….

By the way, you do eat a lot of acid, right? I mean, I used to in my 20’s and my friends all said that I talked a bunch of jabberwocky nonsense like you do now. That’s why I’m asking. I’m literally not trying to offend you (for once….haha) but If that’s what it is, it eventually fades away……..It may take years but it does.

by justrandy on Dec 5, 2010 11:07 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

No acid. Maybe writing is the high.

by mooncamping on Dec 6, 2010 11:24 AM EST up reply actions

The less we see of St. Clair and Wright the better chance we have of winning. Also, as long as Delhomme has to scramble, he is a huge risk of throwing the interceptions he is known for. He is a good and accurate pocket passer but can’t scramble worth a darn. He throws the INT rather than take the sack.

by Karen Marie on Dec 5, 2010 10:34 AM EST reply actions

I’ve just come to the conclusion that throwing INTs is just a part of being Jake Delhomme. Worse is that it seems like half those are returned for TDs.

Anderception [an·der·cep·tion] -noun
1. the logical end result of a Derek Anderson pass

by Simmsinns on Dec 5, 2010 10:37 AM EST up reply actions