Recap: Dolphins 23, Browns 10
SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 8, 2013
Dolphins 23, Browns 10: Ryan Tannehill passed for 272 yards and a touchdown as visiting Miami overcame a nonexistent rushing attack to defeat Cleveland in both teams' season opener.
In a matchup of quarterbacks chosen in the first round of the 2012 draft, Tannehill was 24-of-38 with one interception while Brandon Weeden was 26-of-53 for 289 yards with one TD and three interceptions. The Dolphins (1-0), who lost Reggie Bush to free agency, rushed for only 20 yards on 23 attempts, although Daniel Thomas had a 1-yard TD run to put away the game with 6:48 to play.
The Browns (0-1) also struggled in the run game, with second-year back Trent Richardson totaling just 47 yards on 13 carries. Tight end Jordan Cameron led Cleveland with nine receptions for 108 yards as Rob Chudzinski lost his head-coaching debut following two seasons as the Panthers' offensive coordinator.
The Dolphins led 6-0 until the final minute of the second quarter, when Weeden found a sliding Cameron in the back corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown. It was a rough first half for Weeden as he threw three interceptions, two of which went to Dimitri Patterson.
Miami regained the lead with 6:46 left in the third quarter, as Tannehill located a streaking Brian Hartline down the left sideline for a 34-yard score. Cleveland closed within 13-10 on Billy Cundiff's 39-yard field goal less than three minutes later, but Thomas' fourth-quarter touchdown capped a 10-play, 85-yard march in which Tannehill found Brandon Gibson twice on third down to extend the drive.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Browns DT Desmond Bryant, who finished last season by recording a sack in each of his final four games for the Oakland Raiders, brought down Tannehill twice in the first half. Cleveland's other premier addition on defense, LB Paul Kruger, also had a sack in his first game since helping the Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl. ... Dolphins K Caleb Sturgis, a rookie out of Florida, connected on all three of his field-goal attempts - from 45, 49 and 36 - in his NFL debut. ... Hartline finished with nine catches for 114 yards, while Gibson had seven grabs for 77 yards. Mike Wallace, signed by Miami to a five-year, $60-million contract in the offseason, only had one catch for 15 yards.
Sep 8, 2013
Dolphins 23, Browns 10: Ryan Tannehill passed for 272 yards and a touchdown as visiting Miami overcame a nonexistent rushing attack to defeat Cleveland in both teams' season opener.
In a matchup of quarterbacks chosen in the first round of the 2012 draft, Tannehill was 24-of-38 with one interception while Brandon Weeden was 26-of-53 for 289 yards with one TD and three interceptions. The Dolphins (1-0), who lost Reggie Bush to free agency, rushed for only 20 yards on 23 attempts, although Daniel Thomas had a 1-yard TD run to put away the game with 6:48 to play.
The Browns (0-1) also struggled in the run game, with second-year back Trent Richardson totaling just 47 yards on 13 carries. Tight end Jordan Cameron led Cleveland with nine receptions for 108 yards as Rob Chudzinski lost his head-coaching debut following two seasons as the Panthers' offensive coordinator.
The Dolphins led 6-0 until the final minute of the second quarter, when Weeden found a sliding Cameron in the back corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown. It was a rough first half for Weeden as he threw three interceptions, two of which went to Dimitri Patterson.
Miami regained the lead with 6:46 left in the third quarter, as Tannehill located a streaking Brian Hartline down the left sideline for a 34-yard score. Cleveland closed within 13-10 on Billy Cundiff's 39-yard field goal less than three minutes later, but Thomas' fourth-quarter touchdown capped a 10-play, 85-yard march in which Tannehill found Brandon Gibson twice on third down to extend the drive.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Browns DT Desmond Bryant, who finished last season by recording a sack in each of his final four games for the Oakland Raiders, brought down Tannehill twice in the first half. Cleveland's other premier addition on defense, LB Paul Kruger, also had a sack in his first game since helping the Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl. ... Dolphins K Caleb Sturgis, a rookie out of Florida, connected on all three of his field-goal attempts - from 45, 49 and 36 - in his NFL debut. ... Hartline finished with nine catches for 114 yards, while Gibson had seven grabs for 77 yards. Mike Wallace, signed by Miami to a five-year, $60-million contract in the offseason, only had one catch for 15 yards.
