Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns played their best game of the season in Week 7, as they improved to 2-5 with a 31-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The game was played in the rain, and featured a mixture of nice runs by RB Quinshon Judkins, timely turnovers forced by the defense, beneficial officiating calls early on, and Miami being a terrible football team. Let’s get to the full game recap.
The Browns received the opening kickoff with the rain falling, and after QB Dillon Gabriel bootlegged for a 6-yard run on the first play, their next two runs by RB Quinshon Judkins and RB Jerome Ford were stuffed for no gains. Cleveland punted, but the ball went to the end zone for a touchback — although a holding penalty by Miami brought the back a little.
Miami converted a 3rd-and-3 situation with a wheel route pass from QB Tua Tagovailoa to WR Malik Washington for 14 yards, but then faced a 3rd-and-15 on the next third down situation, a quick pass went for a loss and led to a punt. WR Gage Larvadain returned the punt to the Browns’ 31 yard line to begin their second drive.
The Browns’ second drive faced a 3rd-and-9 situation right away, and then a false start by RT Cornelius Lucas, who is making the start for RT Jack Conklin, had a false start to push it to 3rd-and-14. The offense was bailed out by an illegal contact penalty on the defense to give the Browns a fresh set of downs. Right after that, the pitch to Judkins went for a loss of 6 yards. On 2nd-and-16, Gabriel let a pass rip to WR Jerry Jeudy that looked like it was intercepted, but somehow the defender missed it and Jeudy was able to pick up 16 yards and a first down toward midfield.
The Browns got the benefit of another ticky tack call off of a roughing the passer penalty called on Miami, moving the ball to the Dolphins’ 40 yard line. After a 5-yard run by Judkins, Judkins got the next carry and bounced it to the outside for a gain of 17 yards to the 17 yard line.
Two more runs set up a 3rd-and-5, but Gabriel’s pass was thrown into the ground as Jeudy fell down from contact and Gabriel missed seeing his running back open. K Andre Szmyt came on and hit a 30-yard field goal to give Cleveland the 3-0 lead.
The Dolphins began the next drive with a 46-yard run by RB De’Von Achane down to the 32 yard line, as CB Tyson Campbell chased him down from behind. That was followed by a playaction pass that went for another first down to the Browns’ 17 yard line.
The Browns’ defense was able to come up with a stop and force a field goal by Miami to begin the second quarter, tying the game at 3-3....
