Dolphins - 24
Browns - 21
Turnover, injury, penalty. Turnover, injury, penalty, lol. Damn! I think this is why it's harder to win with a "bad team" in this game because their players just struggle with the simple things. Between Reggie Bush and Marlon Moore, it was like tossing a bar of soap back and forth. I knew the QB situation in Miami was abysmal, but I was shocked to see that Pat Devlin has 92 short accuracy. So, despite his 66 OVR, I made him my starter, and tried to make the best of it.
Things started out great, as Miami had Cleveland on the ropes with some early LB INTs in the 1st half. The 2nd INT was gifted right back on the very next play though, as Bush got crushed by TJ Ward, and the fumble was returned for 6. The Dolphins felt pretty good leading 14-7 at the half and getting the ball back, but that feeling vanished quickly as a ballhawking Scott Fujita, picked off a Devlin pass over the middle. Peyton Hillis led the Browns down the field to tie the game up minutes later.
Feeling a shift in the momentum, TJ Ward found another victim to destroy on the ensuing kickoff, as Marlon Moore fumbled, setting up the Browns at the Miami 5 yard line. They got as far as the 1 yard line, before the Dolphins defense pushed Hillis back to the 3 yard line as time expired in the 3rd. On the first play of the 4th quarter, Cleveland tried to catch Miami napping, and Colt McCoy fired a quick pass toward Greg Little. However, McCoy overthrew him, and put the ball right in the hands of Vontae Davis, 4 yards deep in the endzone.
Davis saw his opportunity and he took it, avoiding Little and another Cleveland player in the endzone, and began streaking up the sideline. Hillis had him about cut off, but Davis was able to tightrope away and broke into the open field for a 104 yard INT return for a TD and a 21-14 Dolphins lead. Cleveland answered right back though, thanks to a 61 yard pass and run to Mohamed Massaquoi. The game was tied at 21 a few plays later.
The Dolphins got the ball back with 3:53 left in the game and began eating the clock. They burned up Cleveland's timeouts and marched down the field, setting up a 1st and goal inside the 5 yard line with 60 seconds to play. Not wanting to risk anymore turnovers, Devlin took a knee, and on 3rd and goal, Dan Carpenter kicked the game winning field goal as time expired. GG to Ultimate Matt X. I thought I had him early...then I thought he had me...then I didn't know what we had, lol. The Dolphins are definitely interesting. That defense is pretty sick though!
Dolphins
Pat Devlin - 10-16, 185 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Reggie Bush - 18 att, 111 yds, 0 TDs, 1 fumble, 2 rec, 45 yds
Davone Bess - 2 rec, 49 yds, 1 TD
Brian Hartline - 2 rec, 30 yds, 1 TD
Anthony Fasano - 2 rec, 17 yds
Vontae Davis - 4 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD (104 yds)
Browns
Colt McCoy - 8-18, 163 yds, 0 TDs, 3 INTs
Peyton Hillis - 15 att, 64 yds, 2 TDs
Mohamed Massaquoi - 4 rec, 95 yds
Jamie Brooks - 3 rec, 57 yds
TJ Ward - 6 tackles, 2 FF (player of the week?)
Vorheese Smith - 3 tackles, 1 FR, 1 TD (65 yds)
It hurts to get an AFC loss like this, but I think I'm still on track and just have to work out some issues as the season goes along.
