Miami Dolphins (7-8) @ Cleveland Browns (3-12)
Sunday, December 29, 4:05 PM ET
Well, well well…We have another must-win game for the Miami Dolphins here late in the season, and we have a much more interesting scenario than I anticipated for them.
The Dolphins, fresh off of a gritty win against the San Francisco 49ers in Miami, now have to travel to Cleveland for Sunday afternoon’s game, a game in which they are eliminated with a loss.
Now, the Cleveland Browns are currently nothing to write home about, but the Dolphins’ kryptonite is very obvious: This team has been horrendous in cold-weather games with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback.
And the forecast for Sunday afternoon in Cleveland? 49 degrees at kickoff, precipitation likely, and wind gusts up to 20 MPH. This is horrendous news if you’re the Miami Dolphins. Absolute travesty.
This weather plays very directly into the hands of the Cleveland Browns pulling off an upset. Not to be a fear monger for the playoff-hopeful Dolphins fan base, but this could end up being a major factor in the team’s overall playoff chances. You can’t be letting (checks notes) Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Browns stand in the way of your playoff hopes, can you?
Now, weather projections and all of that can change on a dime, and perhaps the Dolphins will get lucky in that regard. But if the ball is wet and it’s cold and windy out there, it’s going to be a disgusting football game to watch. Miami is currently favored by 6.5 points but I don’t think Vegas is paying attention to the weather forecast.
Prediction: Browns win 15-12