Can the Cleveland Browns defense shut down Tua Tagovailoa & the Dolphins’ passing game?

Can the Cleveland Browns defense shut down Tua Tagovailoa & the Dolphins’ passing game?

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— is a Billy Bob, by the way? I never heard of those. I don’t know but I I know everything else is, but I got to find out what a Billy Bob. Do you guys know what a Billy Bob? No, Thornton. And then Billy Bob from uh oh what was that football movie with the coach, the coach who’s a real jerk played by John Voight. No, I don’t know Billy Bob was the offensive line. Varsity Blues. OK, yes, — I
— know Billy Bob. Billy Bob, I will figure out what Billy Bob. — What happened
— to that actor, by the way? Sorry, Mike. One second. What happened to that actor who played Billy Bob? I mean, — we haven’t seen
— him and see what he looked like because I don’t, I, — I haven’t seen Varsity Blues
— and stuff. Remember the girl in that gorgeous who wears the whipped cream bikini? Yeah, you remember that scene. She’s now all these years later. I’ve never seen her. She’s now on that show Landman with Billy Bob Thornton. How about that? — brings it
— all the way around. Billy Bob, it’s crazy. That was actually low key. So guys, earlier this week, oh it really happened on Sunday, but after the Dolphins lost to the Chargersa called out some of his teammates for being late to team meetings. And then since then he’s been under a firestorm. It got to the point where yesterday at his normal Wednesday press conference, he had to issue an apology. I want to play that apology, then I got a question following that up, but this is Tua at his weekly press conference aping to his own teammates. All right, so, um, you know I as as a leader of this team of the Miami Dolphins, um, you know, the, the comments that that had been said, uh, I would say I’ve I’ve made a mistake and I’m owning up to that right now, um, you know I’ve talked to to guys on the team about it, talked to the leaders about it and uh you know that. They, they know my heart, they know that. The intent was right, but no matter the intent um you know the intent can be right but when things get misconstrued or however the media wants to portray it. You know that that leaves a void of of silence and a lot of questions for the guys on our team now being 1 in 5. You know we talk a lot about right we we gotta get this going we gotta get this going come in excited to go to work, forget about the noise and I feel like I, I just added on to that for for our guys um you know for for myself I gotta look at myself as as the leader protecting the team. I don’t feel like I. I did that to the best of my abilities. I felt like I let the emotions of the game get to me after the game and uh you know that’s something that I can learn from as a leader on this team and what happens in house should be protected and none of that should have gotten out and so. Wanna publicly apologize about that wanna move forward and now I wanna focus on the Cleveland Browns. Tyvis, I wanna start with you on this. When something like that that happens inside a locker room gets out to the point where the quarterback, the face of the franchise has to publicly apologize, do you think? That ignites a team like Miami and the Browns will see the good version of Tua on Sunday, or does this mean all hell’s breaking loose inside the locker room? The ship is crumbling. It’s sinking and the Browns are going to get a bad version of Tua in this offense. Honestly, I think that the ship is sinking and what’s going to happen is the Browns could really jump on this early. I think right now the Dolphins are in that mindset of if We, they want, they need a spark, they need something to hold them going, to keep them motivated for this season, but if the Browns come out there and go 17, I mean not 17, 7-0, 14-0, you can watch this whole thing crumble right before your very eyes. Um, I know they had the Tyreek Hill injury when Tua said them comments, like the first thing I thought was, bro, you should have kept that. That’s the stuff you keep in the locker room. I get, you know, you’re trying to call people out, but like it makes it makes the team look bad. It makes you look bad because it’s like you’re the leader of the team and you call a meeting and people not coming to the meeting that you called, that means that they don’t respect you. So like that’s what that means to me and then it makes Mike McDaniel look bad because he’s like it’s like he can’t, he ain’t got no control over what’s going on and players gotta have player on. Meetings, like he had no control over the whole thing. So the whole thing is on fire right now and they’re looking for a little drain drop to like cool it off a little bit, and if they can find that one against the Browns, you know, maybe that could change the things. I’m not saying they’re going to the playoffs by any means, but right now they are, they want to be bad like then their mind it’s like the season’s over with. The Browns could put the final nail in the coffin if they go out. And handle business, so I think that it’s imperative that the Browns get off to a really good start in this game. Hey man, look man, I, I learned something today, man. I learned nobody on the Miami Dolphins could work on UCSS because if they was talking about people getting called out, we get called out on air. You, you come right on in. Hey bro, where you, where you at? He, you was out of here. What are you doing? Tyvis, where you at? He in Trimble County. — He
— didn’t, right, so we, — we can shut up so somebody else can talk
— boom boom boom. Just stop. hey, I’m cutting your mic. I’m cutting see up here we live our lives right on reality TV and I like it just like that. But here’s the thing though too. You gotta realize if you’re not getting no wins and you’re not nice they nobody gonna roll with you. You, you mid sauce, you medium sauce, and I never understood why BW 3 is so mild and medium sauce. It’s the same thing. There was no temperature gauge in that and that’s what that’s what it’s like to have two at quarterback, mild, mid. Who knows? It’s like, yeah, like this just shows you when you call somebody up and you be like, oh yeah, let’s have a team meeting. When Tom Brady called people up, even the coaches show for players meetings, players only, assistant coaches gotta show up too. This guy called a meeting and it was nasty. Like, no, we’re not showing up. Now here’s the problem. This Typhuss is absolutely correct. They are ready to give up, boom. They’re ready to, they’re ready to fold the tents up. They don’t like the quarterback. The coach is on the ropes. The Cleveland Browns should be smelling blood in the water. This is a game that Kevin Saansky is supposed to be pulling out his best stuff, all the stops to get them up out of here and get a victory. Alright, a couple of quickies before I dive into this number one Buffalo Wild Wings may be the worst wings I’ve ever had. Hey, you’re right, — I
— agree. I, I don’t disagree with that. You’re right. The fact. We’re all on the same page of this. It’s amazing. I, I don’t know are terrible. They, they, — they’re not well I’m more of a
— wing of — the flame
— wings. Yeah, let’s let’s be real. Wingstop has wings. We had wings this weekend, or at least Mike and I, and I don’t know if you had any. I had some we had wings at Sweet Pork Wilson’s on Sunday. — I mean
— wings. — They smoke them and do something
— else too. And if you want, — if you want to go
— to a chain, they fry bro they were I was eating like a mental. They had so when you bit it — it crunched and
— that’s hard to do. If you have to go to a chain, this is a smaller chain, but like boss Chicken and beer, have you ever been there? — I like
— those. There’s one out in Avon, there’s one on the east side, uh, or maybe not Avon, maybe it’s Bay Village. I can’t remember, — but my wings are really
— am I the only person that don’t like, um, we’re gonna get back on track. I promise. I the only person that do not like dinosaur wings. I like chips. I don’t like, I don’t like, I don’t like when people’s wings. You get them and it look like a turkey drumstick. I’m like that’s way too that you like the the the wings. Let’s, let’s do overtime on wings. OK, we’ll get back to it I was gonna move on from wings anyway, but but all right. So, um, first of all, I, I don’t, I take issue with the way Mike said that that Tua has to, had to apologize. I, I give it, he wanted to apologize. I don’t think anybody forced him to apologize to you. And there was a lot of public pressure on Tua for calling his own teammates I don’t know. I, I thought he was sincere in what he had to say. Listen, Tua is a mid sauce quarterback, right, but I give him credit. Uh, I, a lot of people are gonna criticize him for what he said originally. We want players to be honest. We want, we get pissed off because Kevin Steansky says nothing. He gives you nothing. I’m not gonna kill Tua, and I’m not a big Tua guy, but I’m not gonna kill him. He was pissed at, at least I know he cares. All right. If nothing else, I could say I know Tua cares because when the game was over, he was pissed. And like I didn’t hear the whole thing. Maybe he didn’t mention himself. Like if you’re gonna rip your teammates, — you gotta rip yourself too he said
— was that he says we gotta be better when we call player meetings are not showing up to what’s wrong with that showing up late to the meeting. He’s right. I mean, yeah, but like. — But
— I, I’m just saying why you say that though? — Like is
— it really that big a deal? He didn’t call anybody out by name. He didn’t call them out by name, but like like that. I just felt like we could, you know what we could do? We on Monday we can come to the meeting. You say, hey coach, before you address the team, I got some stuff I want to say. Can you handle it in a team meeting. I don’t think you need to go tell the world like that because now everybody’s like, it’s it led to questions. He obviously didn’t mean it to go that way. But he was frustrated in the moment and I’m just — not gonna rip him if it
— was Patrick Mahomes, right, exactly. But Patrick McChomes called like Rashee Rice out or, or, you know, like a backup tight and like bro, Cass is coming late. — I just don’t if Tom
— Brady, — Tom Brady could say anything Tom Brady Tom Brady’s
— never ripped in the media? Oh, I don’t know about. Yeah, — I would have to go back
— to Tom Brady preaches about being. And the reason that I was so good is because I wanted to be a great teammate. But on the on the sidelines. — That’s different
— though. Like I’m not about to go in the press conference and be like, Well, do you think that leads to to play on Sunday now that it’s cleared, or do you think? Well, I, I’ll tell you, I’ll give you the early preview because I know people are holding their breath for this. Uh, I actually think for the first time this season I’m picking the Browns to win a game. I picked them to lose every game so far this season, but this week I’m gonna pick them to win. Because we have this may be the first time in the what, this is my 14th season covering the Browns I think might be the first time that I could easily say that the Browns opponent is more dysfunctional than the Browns. I’m gonna say this. I’m gonna say this and I’m and I’m not, and, and look, Bull, he threw our names out with people and different things. If Kevin’s defense and the Browns lose this game, oh boy, let me just tell you something right now. I ain’t hear nothing else. It’s time to go. Oh yeah, it’s on the rundown for tomorrow. Well, I don’t think Kevin Stay, — I think Mike McDaniel could very well get fired if they
— lose this game. I think both coaches. I don’t think Kevin. He could. I don’t think Kevin Stavansy is gonna get fired immediately if they lose this game, but to me, I think this is what you’re getting into, Gee, and I agree. If he loses this game, it’s like right now we have, we’ve had Jason and we had Ross Tucker who are saying, you know, there’s wins out there. They can win 5 or 6. If you lose this game. — You ain’t winning 5 or 6 when
— it comes from — this
— is the beginning of the end for him, if nothing else if they lose. Like I just feel like this is the most talent because their offense is. They got some players, but our defense is what keeps us going. Flip it on the other side of the ball. — The defense is trash trash is
— strict is the ranks of the Browns and Miami’s defense. Yeah. It’s the toilet bowl. — Oh my
— gosh, man, listen, I’m gonna keep it real. That’s nasty. — I
— would literally, I’m not gonna lie. — I would literally it’s gonna
— be a mob if we lose. I literally would consider, I would I would consider getting rid of him midseason. — I mean
— if the offense, if they can’t get 20 points in this game, — either that they’re not going to get it
— all. Let me see that again. Let me see that one more time. In this game, Quinha Judkins, they run 25 carries. Yeah, — they better
— run the ball. They, they last and giving up yards rushing. Oh yeah, — they got to run the ball
— and let’s be clear, man, like I’d be, I’ll be hating when people be acting, acting like the running game is like 2021 running game. Like we just run the ball cause we got to. Me me and Tys did a field breakdown yesterday and every single route. We looked at, we was like, is that a tight end or a receiver? And I said, yeah, we were like, yeah, that’s Harold Fanning. Yeah, that’s David and Joeku. Blake, wait, what’s the dude White Lionheart was out there and we, we’re, we’re like, we’re not running 12 or 13 personnel to try to confuse people. — We’re running it because we don’t have receivers that
— is correct. That is correct. It was nasty, yeah, I listen, I would really consider, I, I really would consider it. Now, look, I think that if they don’t do it, I think that might be, you know how you put, you know how you know, deal or no deal, they be they be putting money in the envelope and you don’t know what’s in the envelope. We know what’s in the envelope. The envelope says uh we had to move on from Kevinsky even if it’s not this at this moment after the game, but it will be on Black Friday. Is that 4 mph winds. — I did see
— that. It’s supposed to rain. Running on every play. Let’s get the let’s get the G Bush Ohio — University offense coming
— remember that game we played with Dean where it was like December and it was the Saints and he threw it like a million times. I was like, bro, what are we doing so it’s, it’s on record. They messed it up. Can I get, can I get that stat line from um from Deshaun Watson in that game? — Is it
— on one sec. I got you know they’re gonna run the ball a lot. Because A Chain is legit. I mean, — he’s really
— swing. They only got him and Waddle. That’s it. Waller. He scored every game. What do you guys think? I think he threw 40, he’s terrible. I’m gonna say he went, he probably went 12 for 25 for 147 yards, 19 to 39 7. Let me give you Andy Dalton’s passing numbers just so you have a reference. Andy Dalton 8 for 15 for 92 yards. 15, right? 15 for 15 and by the way, it was it was 30. What was the breakdown for the 24. All right, so they did as much as it was 50/50, right? 34 rushes, 31. New Orleans just for comparison, New Orleans had rushes, 15 passes. Yeah, I mean it should have been better. — It it should have been more
— close like that game that game the Patriots and Bills, — Patriots
— quarterback
— Jones. Yeah, that was crazy. I wanna see the Army triple option. This game, it’s gonna be the don’t even have a quarterback that can run. — The
— weather gonna be that bad, man. I, I, we get a chance to see the weather. I, I mean, I, I guess I, I can’t say he played at Oklahoma. He played at UCL or not Tua but uh Diy Gabriel. We get an opportunity. He’s JB Tua though like he’s like that for like that’s what the lefty. So we’re gonna get a chance to see. This is gonna be crazy because now they’re gonna be like we can’t catch these footballs anyway and it’s 40 about an hour wins. last played against each other. — First time since
— 2007, — I think I’ve seen
— that. This is the first time I’ll give you a little teaser of my stats. ESPN stat. Oh the first time ever that Hawaii. What the 2007 the last time two lefties, who are the lefties? I think it’s 2007. You know, Mike. Mark Bruel and Michael Vick. Was that what it was? I don’t know. I’m just could be it could be. You ready for this? It was 2006. Mike Vick was one of them. I’ll give you the team, see if you can guess the other lefty, the Buccaneers. Luke McCow. No, I don’t think he was a lefty. Chris Sims, yep. Sims. Wow, that’s a nice time in 19 versus quarter. Chrissy even though it doesn’t have to do by the way, just put some respect on Andy Reid’s name. His offense was crazy with McNabb. He goes and gets Michael Vick out of jail. Yeah, benches Kevin one big year. Benches Kevin Cobb and makes him an MVP. Kevin Cobb. He was like, yeah, he pulled up to the prison. Like, yeah, let me get Mike Vick right quick and came back out and he played one of the greatest seasons I’ve ever seen, headed by the game he played. And against the Washington former Redskins and he came out — there looking out when he
— threw that postan Jackson. I was watching that live. I said oh my God, and he still he hit him in stride. Did you, do you guys, did you guys see the movie The Replacements, the Falco, right? Shane Falco, Footsteps Falco, play that. Ohio State. But do you remember? When they got the guy they get out of prison who plays linebacker Wilkerson, yeah, that was like Michael Vick. They got him out of prison to help the Washington football team.

Can the Cleveland Browns’ defense really shut down Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins’ passing attack — or is that just wishful thinking right now? Miami comes into this matchup with one of the league’s most explosive offenses, averaging over 8 yards per pass attempt and piling up more than 1,400 passing yards through six games. Tua’s spreading the ball around with precision, and when he gets into rhythm with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins look almost unstoppable. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s defense, though still solid on paper, has slipped a bit from its early-season dominance, allowing over 1,100 yards and 12 passing touchdowns through the air so far.

But the Browns do have a formula — pressure and disruption. Tua’s biggest weakness is when defenses collapse the pocket and force him to reset his feet. Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith have to be relentless off the edge, and the secondary must hold long enough for the rush to get home. The Dolphins’ offense relies on timing and spacing — take that away, and Tua starts to look human. Jim Schwartz’s scheme is built to create chaos, but it only works if Cleveland tackles in space and avoids giving up chunk plays over the middle.

So, can they shut him down completely? Probably not — nobody really does. But can they make him uncomfortable, steal a possession or two, and hold that Miami offense under its usual output? Absolutely. For the Browns to pull this off, they’ll need their pass rush to dominate and their secondary to play mistake-free football. If that happens, Tua might not get haunted by Myles Garrett — but he’ll definitely feel his presence.

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