Fins 24
Browns 13

Fins come out hot and the D gets a fumble for a TD. Browns never catch up, Fins roll this one.

I hope you're right. This game scares me.

Caleb Sturgis fist pumps us to victory......Hits two long field goals, including the game winner.

Phins 20
Browns 17

Miami 27
Cleveland 17

Fins dominate. Browns get last minute TD. Game is never close.

Dolphins 27
browns 13

No contest.

Go DOLPHINS!

Dolphins 24 , Browns 0 ... it all starts here. Every other team is on notice & they know it!

i really hope that's the case. This would convince me that we're not in the bottom half of the league.

Cleveland 17
Miami 21

The First 4 will tell me all I need to know.
0-4 - They'll finish in the bottom half of the league.
1-3 - Maybe .500
2-2 - 9-7
3-1 - 10-6
4-0 - 12-4
I'll predict they'll beat the Browns 17-16

Only 24 points? What are you, a jets fan?

Miami 20-10. Not having Josh Gordon is a blow for Cleveland. I think Miami defense can control this game.

Miami really needs to get off to a good start.

16-13 Miami.

Very defensive game. Not a lot of TD's. Miami makes a couple big defensive plays that end up being the deciding factor.

Hopefully Sturgis hits the 47-52 yard attempts he'll be getting.

17-3 Dolphins.

Too much D, too few Cleveland weapons.

Miami 20, Cleveland 12. Defense stiffens in red zone and holds the Browns to 4 field goals. Defensive struggle favors the team with more weapons on both sides.

Somehow I think a special teams play will play a big part of this game. Hope it goes our way.

28-10 Miami.

RT17 throws 4 TD's. 1 to each WR.

that pretty much sums it up.

Miami wins 84-0.
Charles Clay breaks NFL single game record for receiving yards.



Ok real guess 24-14 Miami.

can we stop Jordan Cameron? No Josh Gordon to hurt us. I think we can control Richardson.

by the way everyone is picking Cleveland to win.

Miami 20
Cleveland 16

Close in the first half....Phins slow to get the Offense going......turnovers catchup with the Browns in the 2nd........Phins win 20 - 13.

Given the fact that Miami travels to Indy the next week, plays Atlanta home then away at New Orleans, this may sound over the top, but Miami really HAS to win this opener at Cleveland and set the tone for the new few games. They can ill afford to lay a stink bomb against the Browns.

I think Miami will outplay them and I am excited to see the defense go all out.

Wallace is going to go deep a few times for huge plays...I can feel it!

Defense

If you go with what we know, I don't see anyone on the Browns offense that scares me. They have productive players in Greg Little and Davone Bess, but these are not the type of players that you need to double or roll over coverage for. If the Dolphins want to play the match ups, you put Grimes on Bess and Patterson on Little and maybe give Patterson a little bit of help over the top. The Dolphins will probably just have their corners line up on the same side each play though. Patterson covering Bess worries me a little bit because of the difference in quickness and ability to change direction, but not enough to lose sleep over.

We can probably load up the box to stop Richardson if we need to, although our front seven is good enough as it is to stop a running game without loading up the box. And the Browns have an unproven tight end. I know some like Cameron Jordan and he has upside, but he hasn't proven it yet.

They're offensive line is good at both run blocking and pass blocking. The matchup with our defensive line will be a big match up to watch.

Lastly, we don't know how much Weeden has improved. He looked good in the preseason, but I feel we can put pressure on him and play coverage long enough to make him force some throws. Until he proves otherwise in the regular season, he is a turnover prone QB.

Advantage: Dolphins Defense

Offense

I'm sure there will be some growing pains for the Dolphins offense. The offensive line still has some gelling to do and Tannehill is in a similar boat as Weeden. He hasn't proven it yet in the regular season despite his pretty good preseason.

Our offensive line was pretty bad at run and pass blocking last season. And we still have the same center and two guards. Granted center and left guard are a strength and John Jerry didn't grade out too badly as a pass blocker last season, but his run blocking was a weakness. Our tackle position was a huge weakness as Jake Long was pretty bad, but Jonathan Martin was much worse.

We've probably fortified the right tackle position for the season with Tyson Clabo, who was one of the top tackles in the NFL last year, but Jonathan Martin is the huge key for this offensive line. As he goes, so will the offensive line go.

That being said, the Browns run defense was mediocre last year and their pass rush was atrocious. They feel they have upgraded this with Paul Kruger, but 1st round pick Barkevious Mingo will probably miss the game.

In the secondary, the Browns have a very good corner in Joe Haden, but Sheldon Brown, who also graded very highly in 2012, is no longer with the team. Leon McFadden is coming in as a rookie, so there are question marks in regards to the Browns cornerbacks besides Haden. They had one of the top safety duos in 2012, but let Usama Young go to the Raiders and replaced him with Tashaun Gipson, who is inexperienced.

It all will come down to whether the Dolphins offensive line can keep Tannehill upright and whether Tannehill can be patient against a young, talented secondary.

The difference may be the fact that the Dolphins have a couple of homerun hitters while the Browns do not.

Advantage: Browns Defense

Special Teams

In 2012, the Dolphins fielded a top 10 special teams unit while the Browns were in the bottom three. Anything can happen from year to year, but the Dolphins have established themselves as a solid special teams unit with Coach Rizzi and I don't expect that to change.

Field position and defense will be the deciding factors in this game, and the defense will keep the Dolphins in the game long enough to let the offense get going.

Final Score

Dolphins 23
Browns 13

dolphins: 35
Browns: 10

Dolphins finally prove they can close a game and that they don't play down to their opponents.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/nfl/odds/las-vegas/

well the money right now is pretty even. Most have it either even or Cleveland by a point. The over/under is 41. So Vegas is saying anyone's game, low scoring affair controlled by the defenses. I'll be nice to see Tannehill's new toy Wallace show up big.

Miami 17
Browns 13

I know I'm predicting a close game, but until the offense shows me they can move the ball consistently I am going to call this a defensive battle. I do think there is more talent on Miami's side, but it should be a near sell out and Browns fans are loyal to their team.

if we were to beat the Browns handily on their field that would completely change my outlook for this team this year. That would tell me that this team is taking the next step.

Rich that was awesome man. I enjoyed reading that. Thx

Tannehill looked a little too careful during the preseason but he didnt lose a game for us. Kinda like what you're saying, the game will be pending on young QBs vs the Defenses.

I got Gibson & Miller scoring TDs, & Sturgis with 2 FGs. Phins 20
Bess will get a TD vs his old team, & 2 Brownie FGs. Browns 13

Who will have a better performance, Bess or Gibson?

Gibson

I'm already on record as saying getting rid of Bess was a mistake. Brandon Gibson has some huge shoes to fill on 3rd down. Just for the revenge factor, I think Bess will catch at least 7 balls against Miami. If Gibson can keep pace it'll be a good afternoon.

Our one difference maker on offense is Mike Wallace and he will be covered by a difference maker named Joe Haden .... who has more than kept Wallace under wraps in their previous meetings.

It'll be fun to watch both defenses, as they both will attack more this year than ever before.

Gonna be a low scoring affair though. I worry about our secondary with the injuries/inexperience getting off the field when it counts.

In true Bess fashion, he will catch 7 balls for a grand total of 14 yards. LOL

the 2 players that we need to step up big in this game are Martin and Hartline.
Martin just needs to give Tannehill enough time to operate a few successful drives. Wallace will have his hands full all day with Haden, effectively occupying Haden the whole game, so Hartline needs to (and by every reason should) abuse Buster Skrine all day. We need a 100 yard day out of him.
Gibson should also come up with some nice chain moving grabs.

I'm going to say 27-14 Miami. Aside from Richardson, no one on their offense scares me. Not having Gordon really hurts them, and I don't think Little or Bess are anything to write home about. Our front seven has the potential to be one of the top squads in the NFL, and having Brent Grimes back there significantly upgrades our secondary. The way I look at it, the only position they have a clear edge on us is the RB, and I'm just not sure that Richardson can carry this team the way Peterson does for Minnesota. I think the Browns struggle this year, starting with this game.

Browns are a young, up and coming team just like Miami. I do think Miami has the better team overall however, this is opening weekend and the dawg pound will put the stadium in a playoff atmosphere. I think this is a defensive struggle and here's hoping the leg of our new kicker wins the day

we should try to gash them with Miller all day. They're much easier to run on than to throw against.

I'm already on record as saying getting rid of Bess was a mistake. Brandon Gibson has some huge shoes to fill on 3rd down. Just for the revenge factor, I think Bess will catch at least 7 balls against Miami. If Gibson can keep pace it'll be a good afternoon.


I think the red zone production alone from Gibson will help us forget about Davone Bess.

Bess was very good in between the 30's but Gibson IMO is an improvement. Proof will now show in his play.

Couldn't agree more. Bess is pretty decent in space and has solid hands, but the guy isn't going to outrun defenders or win jump balls. You have that ability with Gibson which should make a difference in the Red Zone.