After going on a weird, wild ride over the past month and change since Jameis Winston officially took over for Deshaun Watson as the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, the Cleveland Browns’ 2024 season is basically over.
Their playoff chances are dashed. The “Famous Jameis” train is back in the station. And worst of all? The team doesn’t even look to be particularly fun to watch moving forward, as Dorian Thompson-Robinson had a pretty ugly effort in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
And yet, the Browns still technically have two games left to play, and in Week 17, they draw the unenviable task of facing off against one of the best players under pressure in the NFL today, Tua Tagovailoa. Asked about the challenge of playing the Dolphins right after Christmas, head coach Kevin Stefanski gave the Alabama QB credit, noting that he’s an impressive player who practically forces opposing teams to play him differently.
“I’d say the ball comes out so fast. I think that’s what helps the pressure,” Stefanski told Browns reporters. “You can blitz him and sometimes you get there, sometimes that ball’s whistling out of there because that’s just how fast they play. And he makes really, really quick decisions, and he has a very, very quick release.”
Asked how much pressure Tagovailoa’s quick release can put on a defensive secondary, Stefanski noted that the Dolphins’ offense as a whole can make it tough on all opposing defenses. Fortunately, the Browns more or less know what to expect and know where on the field Miami likes to attack.
“Yeah, I think certainly this scheme puts pressure on every part of your defense. It’s not just the secondary,” Stefanski noted. “I think everybody contributes to trying to slow this group down. I think they do a great job getting the ball in the perimeter in a variety of ways, run game, screen game, you name it. Then they do a really good job working the middle of the field as well.”
With speed all over the field at wide receiver, running back, and even tight end, the Dolphins really are a team that can stress an opposing defense not just 110 yards down the field vertically but also 53.3 yards horizontally, which is the width of a standard NFL field. While the Browns do have some elite pieces on defense, with Denzel Ward still one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and Myles Garrett arguably the best defender in the NFL period, when you consider that key players like Ogbo Okoronkwo, Shelby Harris, and Greg Newsome II are all out of action for the game, Jim Schwartz might have more than his fair share of issues in Week 17.
