There’s both good news and bad news for Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins’ plan to limit a key part of the Browns’ offense on Sunday
What’s that saying about how everyone has a plan until…?
The Miami Dolphins team mantra this year is “they talk, we do.” The doing has been a bit of a challenge through six weeks. Miami now sits near the bottom of the NFL standings after a frustrating 1-5 start — a performance that showed an inability to play complementary football for long enough spurts to close winning opportunities late in games.
Now? Miami heads to Cleveland for what is scheduled to be a sloppy, wet affair. And Miami will be tested by a team in a similar position — the Browns are also 1-5. Cleveland did, however, embrace a full-on youth movement this past offseason and loaded up on top-100 draft picks. These rookies are all playing for the Browns, and one such rookie is a part of a two-headed monster at tight end that Miami has spent this week preparing for.
There’s good news but also bad news on this front.
Miami’s plan to slow down Cleveland’s tight ends gets a boost, but may still be easier said than done
“Those two tight ends you’re speaking of are talented players, and we know they’re going to try to get them the ball, so we either have to take that option away or minimize the yards after catch, which I think is the most important thing when talking about how they get their tight ends the ball,” Mike McDaniel said. “They’re trying to get them the ball and get them to run with it, and if you allow them to get a bunch of yards after catch, they will continue to do that same formula.”
Let’s start with the good news for Miami. David Njoku has been ruled out of this game and will not suit up for the Browns on Sunday. It’s a major loss for Cleveland, which is thriving with rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel by finding easy completions underneath and letting their big guys work.
With no Njoku in place for the Browns, Miami’s focus on opposing tight ends can be focused more intensely on rookie Harold Fannin Jr.
2025 Miami Dolphins upcoming schedule
- Week 7: Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns
- Week 8: Dolphins @ Atlanta Falcons
- Week 9: Baltimore Ravens @ Miami (TNF)
- Week 10: Buffalo Bills @ Miami
- Week 11: Dolphins v. Washington Commanders (Spain)
Now, time for the bad news. The plan is to minimize the yards after the catch, which involves tackling with confidence and effectiveness. The forecast is calling for a wet, sloppy field on Sunday. But the real root of this challenge lies in how well the Dolphins are tackling this season.
The Dolphins have been among the worst tackling teams in the NFL through the first six weeks. Pro Football Reference ranks them in the top six of teams in total missed tackles. Pro Football Focus ranks them as a bottom three tackling defense in football.
Seven members of the Dolphins’ defense are missing 25% of their tackle challenges or more, per Pro Football Focus. If you drop that number to a missed tackle rate of 18%, it’s 11 defenders. Cleveland, as a point of reference, has just six players with a missed tackle rate in excess of 18% and one of them is cornerback Tyson Campbell, who just got traded to the Browns and has played one game.
Miami knows what they need to do with Fannin Jr. as a run-after-catch threat. But, in potentially wet and sloppy conditions, will they actually do it? Will this be time for “talk” or time for ‘do’? We’ll find out tomorrow.
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