Browns vs. Dolphins: Quick Hits
What went right: Three defenders the Browns claimed off waivers Sept. 4 after the NFL’s annual cutdown day made big plays. Rookie defensive end Tyrone Holmes pressured Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill as he threw on third-and-3 from Miami’s 21-yard line. Undrafted rookie cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun intercepted the pass and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, giving the Browns a 10-7 lead with 6:47 left in the second quarter. Outside linebacker Corey Lemonier strip-sacked Tannehill and recovered at Miami’s 27-yard line with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, setting up the 46-yard field goal Cody Parkey missed with no time left in regulation.
What went wrong: With two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden inactive because of a groin injury he suffered in Thursday’s practice, the Browns didn’t have an answer for wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who was targeted 12 times and finished with seven catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. Landry’s double move in overtime left cornerback Jamar Taylor in his dust. Then he hauled in a 32-yard pass to set up running back Jay Ajayi’s game-winning, 11-yard rushing touchdown.
The bottom line: The Browns need a reliable kicker. They outgained the Dolphins 430-426, and they won the turnover battle 3-1. But Parkey made just 3-of-6 field goals, leaving nine points off the scoreboard with misses from 41, 42 and 46 yards.
— Nate Ulrich