Worse Than Forecasted

The weather in Cleveland on Sunday was rainy and blustery, setting a dreary tone for the Miami Dolphins’ matchup against the Browns.

Yet as the day unfolded, it became clear that the Dolphins’ performance would prove even more disappointing than the gloomy conditions.

Earlier in the week, I wrote an article on Dolphinstalk.com about whether this game was worth watching.

My skepticism stemmed from several factors.

First and foremost, the 2025 Dolphins have struggled throughout the season—they have consistently failed to meet expectations and, in my opinion, are not a good football team.

In fact, the 2025 Miami Dolphins stink.

On Sunday, their showing against the Browns was even worse than anticipated.

The Dolphins were not just bad; they appeared beyond repair, offering little entertainment value to fans.

I also noted that the Browns, with rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, seem to be making significant progress in their search for a franchise QB1—progress that the Dolphins have yet to achieve.

Tua Tagovailoa’s performance in 2025 has been notably poor, ranking as his worst in the past six years.

Even the most dedicated Tua supporters would be hard-pressed to defend his play in Cleveland, which fell short of even the most pessimistic predictions.

Another reason I doubted Miami’s chances was their porous run defense.

The Browns’ running back, Quinshon Judkins, exploited the Dolphins’ defensive weaknesses, confirming that Miami’s struggles on defense remain.

In my previous article, I questioned what Dolphins fans have to cheer for this season.

Is there hope in tanking for draft picks and in the hope that owner Stephen Ross will fire Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel?

Even these possibilities may not unfold as fans expect or desire.

The question remains: will Stephen Ross finally listen to the fans?

Most NFL pundits and Dolphins fans did not anticipate a successful season for Miami.

I predicted a 7-10 record and wondered if I was being too negative.

The events in Cleveland suggest that this forecast may have been optimistic.

Although the weather in Cleveland improved, Miami Dolphins fans were left with a sense of disappointment that, in the end, was worse than any forecast could have predicted.