Thrashing comes with silver lining
reminder of how extensive Miami’s rebuilding process truly is with coach Brian Flores and Chris Grier leading the franchise.
Remember Jarvis Landry, Miami’s second-round pick in 2016 who was traded away because the franchise did not want to sign him to a big deal?
Landry made the Dolphins pay Sunday, catching 10 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, posing and taunting Miami’s defense after each catch in his first game against his former team.
He scored on Cleveland’s first drive of the game, early in the second quarter, and had two long completions in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
“It didn’t mean extra, but it was fun,” Landry said after the game.
Then, it was Beckham getting behind the entire Dolphins defense for a Cleveland’s second touchdown of the day in the first quarter.
Beckham finished with six catches for 84 yards as he and Landry indulged on a steady diet of Miami’s inexperienced secondary filled with undrafted players like Lewis, Nik Needham, Jomal Wiltz and Steven Parker.
“We just didn’t come out and execute well enough. A lot of miscommunication out there, missed tackles,” Needham said. “We just really didn’t play on our best.”
Browns running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt reminded the Dolphins of what a running game should look like each scoring a touchdown, accounting for 106 and 37 yards, respectively, to pace Cleveland’s offense.
And then it was Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in 2018, Cleveland’s franchise quarterback who helped his team take a 28-3 lead into the second half and did just enough afterwards, leading two field goal drives, to hand Miami its second straight loss and ninth this season.
“We got ourselves somewhat back in the game in the third quarter, but when you dig yourself in that type of hole, it’s hard to get out of it and we could not string enough plays to really get back into it,” Flores said of an early 28-0 deficit the Dolphins could not overcome.
Come April, the state of Ohio could have two No. 1 picks at quarterback with LSU’s Joe Burrow, an Ohio native, as the presumable favorite to be the top choice and the Bengals are in line to land the top pick.
The Dolphins also plan to address their quarterback situation, among every other position they need to shore up, during the next NFL draft.
Fitzpatrick finished the game completing 21-of-39 passes for 214 yards, a touchdown to Gesicki and wide receiver Allen Hurns with 39 seconds left, and two interceptions his birthday. The Dolphins finished with 92 rushing yards as Fitzpatrick lead with 45 of them.
The Dolphins ended the game with two healthy receivers in DeVante Parker, who led Miami with six catches for 91 yards, and Hurns, who had four catches for 42 yards.
Jakeem Grant left the game in the first quarter with a right ankle injury, before Albert Wilson did not return after suffering a rib injury in the second half.
Miami gave up the most points it had since surrendering 59 to the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener, and 43 to the New England Patriots in Week 2.
The Dolphins host the Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) next Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
“It’s just like any loss,” dejected Dolphins linebacker and Cleveland native Jerome Baker said after the game.
“It hurts to lose.”