Dolphins-Browns Week 7 Halftime Observations

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) runs with the ball against Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

What stood out in the first half of the Miami Dolphins' Week 7 game against the Cleveland Browns:

We'll start with the list of inactives, where the biggest news involved rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers supplanting Zach Wilson as the No. 2 quarterback. The other big news here was Matthew Judon being inactive and cornerback Storm Duck out for a fifth consecutive game since sustaining an ankle injury in the opener.

Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. was a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game, while rookie seventh-round pick Zeek Biggers is inactive for a sixth time in seven games.

THE FIRST QUARTER

The Browns won the toss and decided to receive, going against the usual strategy and a very strange decision considering just how offensively challenged this team is.

Not a surprise that the Browns came out running (because their passing game is so feebled), so nice work by the defense to produce a three-and-out, especially after a 6-yard scramble by QB Dillon Gabriel on first down.

The Dolphins' first drive basically was sabotaged when De'Von Achane dropped a backward pass from Tua Tagovailoa and had to fall on it, resulting in a 5-yard loss on a second-and-down. Achane has been the team MVP so far this season, but there have been too many of those drops on easy passes at the line of scrimmage.

Despite a 17-yard run by rookie Quinshon Judkins, the run defense overall was solid again on the first drive, with Ashtyn Davis and Chop Robinson both making nice plays at the line.

The drive did produce a field goal, though, and the reason were two big penalties. The defensive holding call on third down was assigned to Chop Robinson, but the replay showed nothing Robinson did would have warranted even thinking about a flag. CBS analyst Adam Archuleta suggested it might have been on Rasul Douglas downfield, and a replay isolating his work didn't show anything that would merit a flag. Zach Sieler's roughing-the-passer penalty kind of was an automatic because he wound up hitting Gabriel in the helmet.

Achane showed why he indeed is team MVP so far with his 46-yard run, which showed off his speed. Props to rookie Jonah Savaiinaea, who's taken his share of criticism, for getting to the second level to deliver a seal block that helped spring Achane.

THE SECOND QUARTER

The Dolphins' running game failed to produce in the red zone and the Dolphins are forced to settle for a field goal, and a nasty pattern is emerging with Ollie Gordon II, who can't get anything going lately.

Cleveland took the lead with a 46-yard touchdown run by Judkins on the next possession, but the big story here of course was the DPI on Minkah Fitzpatrick. The replay showed clearly that Fitzpatrick had his right arm on TE Harold Fannin's left arm, and this is one of those that sometimes gets called and sometimes doesn't. But because this is how the Dolphins season is going, of course the flag will come out.

And, of course, this would negate an interception by safety Ashtyn Davis, who has been more noticeable in this first half than the first six games combined.

And, also of course, this was followed by another long run given up by the defense, a 46-yard touchdown by Judkins when it looked like the issue was at the second level.

Down 10-3, the Dolphins then fumbled the ensuing kickoff when Dee Eskridge was hit from the side but didn't do nearly a good enough job of securing the ball.

The Dolphins then gave up a third-down conversion on a third-and-11 when Robinson first jumped offside, then the defense dropped off way too far and allowed Fannin to turn a short throw into a 12-yard gain.

The penalty issues continued with Jaelan Phillips getting flagged for roughness when he hit Gabriel after a handoff and may have not been able to see he didn't have the ball anymore. Again, this is how the Dolphins season is going.

Jack Jones deserves props for dropping Judkins for a 6-yard loss on a first-quarter run, but he also missed some tackles, including Judkins' 3-yard TD out of the Wildcat formation — after Judkins bobbled the shotgun snap and had to retrieve the ball behind his shoulder.

As an example of how things are going, the Dolphins got a nice return by Malik Washington to start their next possession at their own 47 and got a first down on an illegal contact penalty and yet lost 1 yard. Ugh. It didn't help that Patrick Paul didn't block Carson Schwesinger on the sweep by Achane or that Tua dropped a shotgun snap before a call swing pass, which led to pressure getting to him before he could complete the throw.

Back-to-back nice plays by Kenneth Grant, wtih a TFL and tackle for no gain in run defense. So at least there's that.

The Dolphins got themselves a chance to make something happen before the end of the half starting at the Cleveland 40. The drive starts with a false start and a sack (ugh), but then a 23-yard run by De'Von Achane with Aaron Brewer, Patrick Paul and Jaylen Waddle providing blocking downfield.

That run gives Achane 76 rushing yards, which is good news, and the offense a total of 99 yards, which most definitely isn't.

The Dolphins caught a break after Riley Patterson missed a 43-yard field goal attempt with a flag for making contact with the long-snapper, but on the very next play Tua couldn't handle a low shotgun snap by Brewer.

At the very least, the very, very least, the Dolphins got a field goal out of it and went into halftime trailing 17-6.

But, yes, this was some ugly stuff.