Last Updated on December 2, 2010 2:58 am by Anthony Rome
Browns vs. Dolphins Preview
MIAMI, FL (AP) – The Cleveland Browns’ revolving door at quarterback could continue this week. The Miami Dolphins finally appear to be set at that position.
With rookie Colt McCoy questionable, Jake Delhomme could make his second straight start Sunday at Sun Life Stadium, where the Dolphins will look to Chad Henne for a rare home win.
According to latest NFL odds, oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made 4,763 point spread favorites for Sunday’s game against Dolphins. Current NFL Public Betting Information shows that 55% of more than 4,763 bets for this game have been placed on Browns +4.5.
While it appears the Browns (4-7) will miss the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, they have shown promise lately with McCoy leading the club to victories over New England and defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans.
Looking to match last season’s win total, the Browns could be without McCoy for a second consecutive week after he suffered a high ankle sprain – the same injury that sidelined Delhomme and Seneca Wallace this season – during a 24-20 loss at Jacksonville on Nov. 21.
McCoy wasn’t cleared to practice Wednesday, so Delhomme will likely start though coach Eric Mangini hasn’t made an official decision.
“I just want to look at some Miami tape, get a better sense of the challenges they present and look at it in that context as opposed to just making a decision right now without really doing that component of it,” Mangini said.
Making his first appearance since replacing the injured Wallace in a loss to Atlanta on Oct. 10, Delhomme completed 24 of 35 passes for 245 yards in Sunday’s 24-23 victory over Carolina. However, he continued a disturbing trend by getting picked off twice.
Dating back to last season with the Panthers, Delhomme has thrown 24 interceptions in his last 14 games.
“Jake did a ton of stuff (Sunday) that was really, really good,” Mangini said. “… He put us in a lot of good positions. What you want to do is eliminate those mistakes that become gigantic mistakes.”
The Browns are 1-4 on the road, and will seek their first victory in Miami since Oct. 25, 1970.
Miami (6-5), which is three games behind AFC East leaders New England and New York, has the easiest remaining home schedule in the NFL. The Dolphins’ three remaining opponents are 8-25, but the club has dropped four of five at Sun Life Stadium.
Miami returns home following last Sunday’s 33-17 victory at Oakland. Back under center for the first time since injuring his left knee against Tennessee two weeks earlier, Henne threw for 307 yards and two scores to help the Dolphins set season highs in points, rushing yards (186) and total yards (471).
Henne temporarily lost his starting job to Chad Pennington, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in his season debut against the Titans, but has returned to the top of the depth chart ahead of Tyler Thigpen.
“I knew my day would come again,” Henne said following his sixth career 300-yard game. “The biggest thing is just staying confident in myself. I know I can get it done out there, I know I can get some wins out there.
“So, for me, it’s just staying confident, fixing mistakes and just keep on improving as a quarterback.”
Coach Tony Sparano is also pleased with Miami’s defense, ranked sixth in the NFL allowing 305.3 yards per game this season, and 263.3 over the last three contests. The Dolphins held the Raiders – the No. 5 rushing team – to 16 yards on the ground. That tied for the second-lowest single game total by the Dolphins.
“We’ve played some great quarters, and we’ve played some great halves, but we haven’t put a game together on defense,” said linebacker Channing Crowder, who is questionable for Sunday with a knee injury. “We played a complete game.”
The Dolphins’ defense will need a similar effort against Browns running back Peyton Hillis. Acquired from Denver in the offseason, Hillis is fourth in the league in yards from scrimmage with 1,319 and tied for second in the NFL with 13 TDs, including 11 rushing.
He ran for 131 yards and three scores last Sunday, joining Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly as the only Browns running backs to rush for a TD in eight games in a single season.
“I thought he would be pretty good and a great addition, but he’s been outstanding,” Mangini said.
Hillis’ former Broncos teammate, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, has not made the same impact in his first season with Miami, scoring just one TD.
Marshall leads the team with 58 receptions and 693 yards, but could miss his second straight game with a right hamstring injury.
Cleveland has posted two straight victories in this matchup after dropping six in a row to the Dolphins. The Browns won 41-31 in the last meeting on Oct. 14, 2007.
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