The Cleveland Browns have a tough matchup on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins as the AFC East team remains in contention for a postseason berth.
After being one of the top offensive teams in 2023, the Dolphins have fallen to middle of the pack this season with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s four-game absence hurting Miami earlier this year.
Still, the fifth-year quarterback has posted a career-best 72.9 percent completion percentage this season as he’s led his team to a 6-5 record during his starts.
Without Tagovailoa, the Dolphins are just 1-3, showing how valuable the quarterback is to his team.
Sunday’s matchup against the Browns could be a struggle for him, however.
ESPN analyst Daniel Oyefusi noted that the key matchup for the Browns’ contest against Miami will be how well the quarterback performs against Cleveland’s defensive coverage scheme.
“In quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s first two seasons with coach Mike McDaniel, he posted the second-highest raw QBR (88.4) when facing Cover 1. But that has changed in 2024; Tagovailoa has posted the third-lowest QBR (26.1) against the coverage. That could play into the hands of a Browns defense that uses the highest rate of Cover 1 in the NFL,” Oyefusi said.
While the Browns’ defense has not lived up to its 2023 benchmark, Cleveland has some of the best defensive backfield talent in the league.
Cleveland’s defensive backfield will feature Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward on Sunday along with safeties Juan Thornhill and Grant Delpit.
Martin “M.J.” Emerson has been a limited participant in practice this week due to back issues, potentially keeping him from playing against the Dolphins.
Additionally, cornerback Greg Newsome will miss this contest as he is currently on the Injured Reserve (IR) list.
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