Dolphins-Browns: The Five Biggest Plays
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The Miami Dolphins improved to 7-3 on the season with their 39-17 victory against the Cleveland Browns at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.
We rank the five biggest, most important, plays of the game:
1. Tua's Third-Down Pass to Waddle Late in the First Half
There really were an awful lot of offensive plays from which to choose as the biggest play, which makes sense considering the Dolphins had almost 500 yards of total offense. We choose this play as the top one because it came on the drive that really swung the game in the Dolphins' favor. After they failed to gain 1 yard on three runs, the Dolphins gave Cleveland the ball toward the end of the first half, but the defense produced a three-and-out and the offense took advantage to score a touchdown. And the play that kept the drive alive was a gorgeous 7-yard completion from Tua to Jaylen Waddle on third-and-7 when Tua lofted the ball just over and to the outside of the defender, where only Waddle could catch it near the sideline. It was as pretty a pass as Tua had thrown all year, though he had another really pretty one just two plays later.
2. Raheem Mostert's TD run
After winning the coin toss for the ninth time in 10 games this season, the Dolphins got the ball to start the second half, this time with a chance to extend their 17-7 lead and really take charge. That's exactly what they did with a dominating 70-yard drive that didn't include a single third-down situation. The drive ended with Mostert's 24-yard touchdown when great blocking up front gave him a gaping hole on the left side of the line.
3. Tua's TD pass to Trent Sherfield
This was the pass the completed the drive at the end of the first half, and it might have been just as pretty as the Waddle throw. Again, Tua lofted the ball over the defender where only Sherfield could catch it. And on this particularly play, Sherfield deserves equal credit for his ability to get both feet in bounds after making the catch.
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4. Jeff Wilson Jr.'s Fourth-Down Run
The game couldn't have started better for the Browns as they took a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game, but any momentum they gained quickly disappeared when the Dolphins answered with an 84-yard touchdown drive. And that drive could have ended early had Mike McDaniel not decided to be daring on fourth-and-1 from the Miami 36. McDaniel never hesitated, Wilson took a handoff, gained 4 yards, and four plays later the Dolphins had tied the score.
5. Xavien Howard's Fumble Recovery
This is another play that was about stopping momentum and it came on the drive after the Dolphins made it 7-7. Cleveland was threatening to take another lead when they moved to the Miami 34-yard line when Zach Sieler stripped Nick Chubb on a second-down run and Xavien Howard recovered the fumble. The Dolphins went on a field goal drive and would lead the rest of the way.
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