Football is weird, isn’t it? Sometimes you look at a matchup on paper and think, “Oh, I know exactly how this goes.” You’ve got the Miami Dolphins basically a track team in helmets and the Cleveland Browns, who usually want to play football like it’s 1985 in a muddy backyard. It’s speed versus brute force. Flash versus grit.
When we dig into the “Miami Dolphins vs Cleveland Browns match player stats,” especially looking back at their most recent significant clash (the 2022 blowout is the one that really sticks in the memory), the numbers tell a pretty wild story. It wasn’t just that Miami won; it was how they won. And looking at the box score from that game—or projecting future ones—gives us a perfect snapshot of two very different football identities colliding.
Let’s skip the boring spreadsheet talk and actually look at what these numbers mean for the guys on the field.
The Quarterback Contrast: Tua vs. The Browns Defense
If you were watching that game in November 2022, you saw Tua Tagovailoa playing at what looked like warp speed. His stat line was efficient, bordering on surgical.
He finished 25 of 32 for 285 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Now, pause for a second. Look at those attempts. Only 32 throws? In the modern NFL, that’s not a huge volume. But the completion percentage is the killer stat here. He wasn’t just completing passes; he was hitting guys in stride. That’s the Miami superpower. When you look at the “yards per attempt” (nearly 9 yards per throw), it tells you the Browns’ secondary was giving cushion. They were terrified of getting burned deep, so they gave up the intermediate stuff. And Tua just feasted.
On the flip side, the Browns’ pass rush usually defines their stats. Myles Garrett is a freak of nature. But in that specific game? The stats show he was largely neutralized. Not because he played badly, but because Miami’s release time was so fast. You can’t sack a quarterback who gets rid of the ball in 2.1 seconds. It’s physically impossible. So, while Garrett’s sack numbers might look low in this specific matchup, the context is that the scheme took him out of the game.
The Run Game: Where the Stats Get Weird
Okay, this is where things get interesting. Usually, when you think “Cleveland Browns,” you think Nick Chubb running over people. You think 150 yards rushing, easy.
But in this matchup, the script flipped completely.
The Miami Dolphins vs Cleveland Browns match player stats for rushing were totally lopsided in the wrong direction. Miami ran for nearly 200 yards. Jeff Wilson Jr. (remember when they traded for him mid-season?) ran for 119 yards on 17 carries. Raheem Mostert chipped in with 65 yards.
Why does this matter? Because everyone thinks of Miami as a “pass-first” team. The stats proved they could beat you up physically too. The Browns’ defense, which usually prides itself on being tough, got pushed around. If you check out the NFL’s official team stats for that week, you’ll see Miami had one of the highest “yards before contact” averages. That means the offensive line was winning big.
Meanwhile, Nick Chubb—arguably the best pure runner in the league—was held to 63 yards. The Dolphins’ defense loaded the box. They basically said, “Jacoby Brissett (who was QB at the time) is going to have to beat us.” And, spoiler alert: he didn’t.
The Wide Receiver Show: Tyreek and Waddle vs. Cooper
You can’t talk about Miami without talking about the “Cheetah.” Tyreek Hill’s stats in this matchup were classic Tyreek. 5 catches, 44 yards, 1 touchdown.
Wait… that seems low, right?
This is why looking at stats without watching the game is dangerous. Tyreek’s yardage wasn’t massive, but his gravity was. The Browns were so busy rolling coverage over to him that it opened up the field for everyone else. Jaylen Waddle had 66 yards. Trent Sherfield (a name you don’t hear every day) caught a touchdown.
The stats show a “balanced distribution,” which is a fancy way of saying the Browns were panicked about Hill, so Tua threw it to the open guy.
On the Cleveland side, Amari Cooper is usually the bright spot. In losses like this, his stats often reflect “garbage time” yards—catches made when the game is already out of hand. But he’s a technician. Even against a tough secondary like Xavien Howard (who was playing then) or Jalen Ramsey (if we look at future matchups), Cooper finds a way to get his 70-80 yards. He’s the safety valve.
Defense: Who Actually Made Tackles?
Defensive stats are often boring, but stick with me.
In the Dolphins vs Browns game, the tackle leaders tell the story of who was getting abused. When a team’s safeties lead the team in tackles, it usually means the running backs are breaking through the first line of defense.
For Cleveland, their safeties were busy. Grant Delpit and John Johnson III were racking up tackle numbers. That’s bad news for Browns fans. It means Mostert and Wilson were getting into the secondary untouched.
For Miami, the stats highlighted their defensive line. Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler were disruptive. They didn’t necessarily have 5 sacks, but their “tackles for loss” (TFL) numbers were key. They stopped Chubb behind the line a few times, which forces the offense into 2nd and long. And nobody wants to be in 3rd and long against a blitz-happy defense.
If you’re a fantasy football nerd and want to see how defensive points are calculated based on these kinds of stats, ESPN Fantasy has great breakdowns on how tackles and sacks translate to fantasy dominance.
What This Means for The Next Matchup
So, what do we learn from these Miami Dolphins vs Cleveland Browns match player stats?
- Speed Kills Schemes: You can have the best defensive game plan, but if you can’t run a 4.2 forty, Miami’s stats are going to look good.
- The Browns Need the Lead: Cleveland’s stats get ugly when they play from behind. They aren’t built to drop back and pass 50 times. Their player stats shine when Chubb gets 25+ carries.
- Tua is Scary Efficient: He doesn’t need 400 yards to beat you. He just needs to not make mistakes.
Next time these two play, don’t just watch the ball. Watch the defensive line of Cleveland. If they can’t get home in 2.5 seconds, the stats sheet is going to look a lot like that 2022 blowout all over again.
FAQs
Q: Who was the leading rusher in the last Dolphins vs Browns game?
A: Surprisingly, it was Jeff Wilson Jr. for the Miami Dolphins. He rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, outperforming Cleveland’s Nick Chubb.
Q: Did Tyreek Hill have a big game against the Browns?
A: He had a solid game with a touchdown, but his yardage (44 yards) was lower than usual. However, his presence opened up the field for teammates like Jaylen Waddle and Trent Sherfield.
Q: How many sacks did the Browns get on Tua?
A: The Browns managed very little pressure. Tua was barely touched because he was getting the ball out so quickly. The Browns’ sack totals were negligible in that 2022 matchup.
Q: What was the final score of their last major meeting?
A: The Miami Dolphins defeated the Cleveland Browns 39-17 in November 2022. It was a dominant offensive performance by Miami.
