NFL Week 3 AFC Preview: Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns (-2 ½)

Online Betting Overview

With the Miami Dolphins’ running game, it is either feast or famine. The Dolphins used to have one of the more active running attacks in the NFL when it used the wildcat as a primary offensive formation. But once running back Ronnie Brown left the Dolphins, the team decided to revert back to an old-fashion offense with a real full-time quarterback. The results have been disastrous as the Dolphins are quickly realizing that while Chad Henne is a decent NFL quarterback, the Miami offensive line is not going to give Henne the time he needs to throw or the running backs the time they need to gain yards. To make matters worse, the Dolphins brought in former New Orleans running back Reggie Bush to elevate the running game and Bush has barely gained for a combined total of 50 yards in the first two games this season.

The Cleveland Browns will want to be careful about being too optimistic, but they can start thinking about being 2-1 when this game is over.

The football betting online fans in Cleveland are still stinging over the opening week loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. But the week two win over the Manningless Indianapolis Colts helped to raise spirits a bit. If the Cleveland fans will be fishing contests out of the schedule to count as wins, the Colts game probably would not have made that list. But this game against the Dolphins is one that the Browns and its fans have every right to believe that they can win. The Browns’ offense looks like it is picking up momentum and is ready to roll right over the Miami defense.

Miami Dolphins
When there was all of that backfield nonsense going on with the wildcat, the Dolphins did not need to have an offensive line that could stand its own ground and block. Now that Miami has decided to go back to a conventional offense, it is realizing that its offensive line is not really that good. The sportsbook promo running game for the Dolphins was stuffed by the New England and Houston defenses so far this season. Granted, the Browns do not have quite the same quality defensive front that those other two teams possess. But the Dolphins are going to need to score points if they want to win this game because the Browns will put scoring up on the board. If the Dolphins offense cannot keep pace, then this will be a long afternoon for Miami.

Cleveland Brown
The Browns have a legitimate shot at being 2-1 by the time this game is over before it has to face the much-improved Tennessee Titans in week four. But Cleveland cannot make the mistake of looking past the Dolphins. Cleveland’s NFL pick for quarterback is the second-year player Colt McCoy. McCoy has improved dramatically since last year and, along with running back Peyton Hillis, can help lift the Browns to a new level in its development. The Browns’ defense is still learning but it is also improving week to week.

The Bottom Line
It seems unlikely that the Dolphins will go 0-2 this year. As bad as Miami looked in the first two games of this season, the team is improving. But the Browns seem to have really stepped things up after the opening week loss to the Bengals and will pose a serious challenge for the Miami Dolphins.

Pick: Cleveland Browns