In terms of must-win games, the upcoming matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns are important for many reasons. Job security. Salvaging locker rooms that could be on the verge of division. A lot is at stake. Sunday’s game can change the trajectory for both franchises, for better or for worse.
Kickoff is at 1 PM. Spero Dedes & Adam Archuleta are on the call. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
Job Security
It’s safe to say that whoever wins this game, whether it’s the Dolphins or the Browns, their
coach will be safe. The other? It’s pretty clear that the coach will be fired, maybe not right after the game but soon.
For Miami, the vibes surrounding this team have been bad since the offseason. It all started with former players calling out the culture that is going on, and it later trickled into training camp. Fast forward to now, the team feels like they are slowly starting to implode and then quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is calling out his teammates for showing up late to players-only meetings or skipping them completely.
Tua later apologized
Head coach Mike McDaniel defended Tua, but it feels as if the damage has been done.
As for Cleveland, head coach Kevin Stefanski is trying to save his job, and it’s mainly due to the offense being ineffective for basically the entire season. If the offense looks competent and they score more than 17 points, the Browns can find a way to win this game.
Pride/Vibes
A win can help both teams in many ways. Let’s start with the Dolphins. As I mentioned earlier, the vibes surrounding the team feel bad in many ways. Players calling each other out, lack of accountability. It feels as if the locker room is one bad loss away from imploding. As for the Browns, it’s more frustration. Judging by the locker room videos, the players are more frustrated than anything. Understandable. It’s not as if Cleveland hasn’t been competitive in all games, but with the offense looking inept, mainly due to many factors that are beyond their control. Last week, the team came out flat (which probably has to do with their London trip and then going to Pittsburgh), but it doesn’t seem as if they have thrown in the towel.
Either team needs a win in this situation just for a morale booster and it could help them going forward.
