CLEVELAND — The 2025 Miami Dolphins are proving to be more of a colossal disaster than we knew.
The latest evidence is Sunday’s lopsided 31-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns in which they turned the ball over four times and committed 10 costly penalties, many of them extending Cleveland drives.
And that was a key factor because it wasn’t like the Dolphins were atrocious in every phase of the game. They simply gift-wrapped too many things to the Browns, whom many could’ve very justifiably felt was still worse than Miami entering Sunday.
While the mess doesn’t appear like it will mean a move away from coach Mike McDaniel or general manager Chris Grier, the noise surrounding their job security only grows louder.
Here’s the Sun Sentinel’s report card for the Dolphins’ defeat at Huntington Bank Field.
Run game: B
First, we start with what was pretty good, especially against a tough Browns run defense. Running back De’Von Achane went for 82 yards on 13 carries, breaking off a big 46-yard run while the game was still competitive early. The run game was set to be a focal point in some inclement weather in Cleveland, but the score was out of hand from the first play of the second half, rendering it to be useless from then on.
Pass game: F
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Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s turnovers came in a bunch once again. Back-to-back three-interception games for him. One of them was a pick-six to start the second half that turned any chances of a comeback upside down. He nearly threw another one later, but Browns safety Rayshawn Jenkins was downed at the 2-yard line. Tagovailoa could only manage 100 passing yards before rookie Quinn Ewers, who supplanted Zach Wilson as Miami’s backup, relieved him in the fourth quarter. Both were constantly under duress, and Miami was a putrid 1 for 13 on third downs.
Run defense: C-
Holding Cleveland, as a team, to 104 yards on 33 rushing attempts, a 3.2 average, tells one side of the story. That’s actually an improvement for Miami’s league-worst run defense. But that also came with the knowledge Cleveland was going to run often, keeping rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel out of harm’s way in poor passing conditions. The Dolphins also didn’t defend the run well situationally. They gave up the three touchdowns to Quinshon Judkins down near the goal line, and Miami didn’t adjust when he was running behind an extra offensive lineman. Cleveland utilized such packages on 22 plays, and Judkins had 15 of his 25 carries and 69 of his 85 rushing yards behind those sets.
Pass defense: D
OK, so Gabriel was only 13 of 18 for 116 yards, but the penalties were what killed the Dolphins. They allowed the Browns to pick up four first downs by penalty. Two of those came as Miami was bound to get off the field. Cornerback Rasul Douglas was called for an extremely punitive illegal contact on a third-and-14 play that went away from his side of the field for a new set of downs. A pass interference call against safety Minkah Fitzpatrick negated a third-down interception by Ashtyn Davis, allowing for Judkins’ 46-yard touchdown run on the following play. Defensive tackle Zach Sieler was called for roughing the passer for contact to Gabriel’s helmet on a second down, and Jaelan Phillips was hit with an unnecessary roughness flag when Gabriel acted as if he had the ball after handing it off. The Dolphins needed to force the rookie passer into a mistake and never did.
Special teams: D
First and foremost, there was Dee Eskridge’s fumble on the kickoff that followed the first Browns touchdown. That’s when the onslaught began, because Cleveland scored again on that drive. But we can talk more penalties here. Eskridge committed an unnecessary roughness covering a punt; Ifeatu Melifonwu held on a big Malik Washington return; and JuJu Brents was called for holding on a punt that was going for a touchback. Officially, Riley Patterson made his two field goals, but he had one doink off the upright but nullified due to a Cleveland penalty. Long snapper Joe Cardona also sent back some high snaps that affected the kicking game.
Coaching: F
It’s inexcusable to be that ill-prepared against the struggling Cleveland Browns. “Self-inflicted wounds” is a phrase used so often from McDaniel, and despite the emphasis he puts on preventing them, they constantly occur. He needs to find a way to effectively communicate how to stop them. Although players say they are receptive to messaging from him and the rest of the staff, it’s not showing by the actions on the field with those 10 penalties. And how has it gotten to this point with Tagovailoa after how successful he was with McDaniel, offensive coordinator Frank Smith and quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell.
Stock up: Patrick Paul
It wasn’t a perfect game by any means if you run through every snap, but Paul’s job was to neutralize standout Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett when he was in front of him. He did that. Garrett’s lone sack wasn’t against Paul, and for the whole first half, while the game was still competitive, Garrett was held without a tackle. The second-year left tackle had a massive challenge in front of him and held his own.
Stock down: The regime
What more can be said? It just feels like the point of no return for the Grier-McDaniel tandem. That’s why all the national talk is about if and when owner Stephen Ross will move on from the two. The only way for the stock to be lower will be the day that happens.
