3 Takeaways from Browns' Week 10 Loss vs. Dolphins

Two weeks ago, it appeared the Cleveland Browns had found a way to keep their season alive. A dominant win over the Cincinnati Bengals gave them momentum heading into the bye week, and they had two weeks to prepare for the Miami Dolphins.

During Sunday's game, though, Miami looked and played like the team with better preparation and all of the momentum.

The Cleveland defense had gained some traction in its previous two games, but it was easily dissected by Tua Tagovailoa, Jeff Wilson Jr. and the Dolphins offense. A Browns ground game that has repeatedly given defenses fits was quiet for most of the afternoon.

Miami held the ball for more than 33 minutes and did not punt.

All of the energy Cleveland picked up in the Bengals win simply evaporated. At 3-6, the Browns have no margin for error heading into next week's game against the Buffalo Bills. The reality is that they just aren't good enough to make a playoff run this season.

Here's what else we learned during Cleveland's 39-17 loss to the Dolphins in Week 10.

This isn't the first time we've called for the firing of defensive coordinator Joe Woods. It may not be the last, either. However, this was his most glaring failure of the 2022 season.

We had similar sentiments following Cleveland's Week 6 loss to the New England Patriots and for similar reasons. This was another lopsided performance, and it came with two weeks of preparation.

The Dolphins' offensive line and running game dominated the Browns all game, while the secondary had no answers for the speed and spacing of Mike McDaniel's offense. Simply put, the Browns were not properly prepared for Miami.

"[It] doesn't matter if you're ready to run through a wall if it's in the wrong direction," Browns defensive end Myles Garrett said after the game.

In no realm should the defense have been this unprepared for any opponent. That's on Woods. The Browns showed against Cincinnati—and to a lesser extent, in a close loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7—that they have the talent to combat potent offenses. Of course, the Bengals and Ravens are familiar foes.

Against teams that Cleveland doesn't see twice a year, its defense has been plagued by blown coverages, poor positioning and lackluster efforts.

It's time for Cleveland to find a defensive coordinator who can devise a game plan and successfully adjust when it isn't working. The Browns are largely out of the playoff mix because Woods isn't that coordinator.

The Browns defense has been their biggest downfall this season.

Cleveland needs a new coordinator in 2023, but it also needs to invest in its defensive front. Defensive tackles such as Jordan Elliott and Taven Bryan are serviceable and nothing more.

Cleveland has an All-Pro pass-rusher in Myles Garrett but can't consistently generate pressure: Tagovailoa was sacked only once, a slip by linebacker Deion Jones and cornerback Greg Newsome II. The Browns have been even worse against the run.

The defense came into Sunday ranked 22nd in rushing yards allowed and 21st in yards per carry (4.6) surrendered.

The Dolphins torched Cleveland for 195 rushing yards and 5.9 yards per carry. Wilson and Raheem Mostert are quality backs, but Miami's success came from its push up front. The line opened massive holes all afternoon and repeatedly pushed the Browns' defensive line yards off of the line of scrimmage.

Cleveland needs to be better on its defensive interior, and it should target down linemen in both free agency and the draft. The good news is that several quality interior defenders are expected to be available in the draft.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department recently released its early look at the top 100 draft prospects. Eight defensive linemen were ranked inside the top 50.

The Browns don't have a first-round pick because of the Deshaun Watson trade, but they could snag a difference-making defensive tackle in Round 2.

Don't be shocked if that position is Cleveland's top draft priority.

Before the 2021 season, the Browns took a chance on well-traveled pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney. The thought was that the three-time Pro Bowler and 2014 first overall pick would pair with Garrett to give Cleveland an elite pass rush.

That plan largely worked last season, as Clowney finished with nine sacks and an impressive 32 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Reference. The Browns re-signed him on a one-year deal this past offseason, but the results have left plenty to be desired.

He has been far less consistent than he was a year ago, which is par for the course for the 29-year-old. He has logged nine sacks in three different seasons but has also produced three or fewer in three separate campaigns.

This is shaping up to be another down year for the South Carolina product, who has missed time with an ankle injury. He came into Sunday with just 1.5 sacks and six QB pressures in five games. He and Garrett were both largely invisible against Miami.

Credit the Dolphins' line—and Tagovailoa, who repeatedly stepped up into a safe pocket—for making the Browns duo non-factors, but this wasn't a one-off occurrence.

Clowney will turn 30 in February, and it's time for Cleveland to look elsewhere to find Garrett's long-term running mate.