That special time of year has arrived. The period on the calendar where family, food and football reign supreme; and this year, between the NFL and the College Football Playoff, massive games are on television just about every day.
For the Dolphins, their Sunday showdown in Cleveland will be an opportunity to keep playoff hopes alive. Miami needs a pair of wins and some help to get back to the postseason for the third consecutive year.
A win would push Miami back to the .500 mark for the first time since Week 2. A Broncos or Chargers loss on Saturday, paired with a Dolphins victory, would keep Miami's playoff hopes alive entering Week 18.
To find the winner's circle, the Dolphins need to solve one of the NFL's most talented defenses, spearheaded for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward. Ward is holding opposing pass catchers – typically the No. 1 on a given team – to a passer rating of just 82.2 when targeted.
Then there's Garrett. He's recorded double-digit sacks each of the last seven years and been named NFL All-Pro five times with a sixth likely on the way in 2024. He presents arguably the biggest challenge of the season for Miami's star left tackle Terron Armstead, who held San Francisco star pass rusher Nick Bosa without a hit on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in last week's 29-17 win over the 49ers.
It stands to reason that the ball must come out fast, and likely away from Ward. It also stands to reason that the solution for such a game plan could be tight end Jonnu Smith, who last week became the franchise's single-season record holder for receptions (76) and receiving yards (802) by a tight end.
"With Jonnu, it's sort of endless," Tagovailoa said. "If he needs to big body the ball, he can do that. If he needs to use his hands, he can do that as well. If you just allow him to get the ball into his hands, he's super dangerous with the ball."
Quick passing game solutions often means targets for the running back, too. De'Von Achane is fresh off a 190-yards-from-scrimmage performance and has been an impactful player for Miami in both the run and pass game.
On the other side, the Browns are likely to start Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback for the second straight game. A fifth-round pick last year by the Browns, Thompson-Robinson will be making his fifth career start. He's thrown one touchdown compared to nine interceptions in his 13 games of experience and averaged just 3.9 yards per attempt.
It'll be imperative for the Dolphins to make life difficult on the young quarterback, just as they have done the last two weeks. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud and San Francisco signal-caller Brock Purdy passed for just 444 yards against Miami, producing 37 points across those two contests.
If the Dolphins can beat the Browns and win at MetLife Stadium next week against the Jets, they would clinch a fifth consecutive winning season. The last happened when Miami posted seven straight winning seasons from 1997-2003.
Make sure to check out the Injury Report and the team's official social media accounts 90 minutes before kickoff to see who is active for the game.
Watch the game live on Sunday, December 29 at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS, and listen on the Dolphins Radio Network and view the Game Center for the latest coverage.
