Streaks
The Dolphins have won six of the past seven meetings and lead the overall series, 7-5.
Last week
The Dolphins were beaten by Houston, 22-19, on a 57-yard field goal by Kris Brown -- the kicker's third in the game from beyond 50 yards -- with one second remaining. ... The Browns were soundly beaten by New England, 34-17. Cleveand fell behind early after Derek Anderson threw two interceptions and never recovered. The Browns also lost two key players on offense -- RB Jamal Lewis left after just one play with a foot injury, and WR Joe Jurevicius hurt his knee.
At stake
Five weeks into the season, the Dolphins have virtually no chance of catching AFC East leader New England. Instead, their goal is much simpler: Win a game. Cleveland needs a victory to get to .500 and enter its bye week on a high note.
Key matchup:
Cleveland OT Joe Thomas and OG Eric Steinbach vs. Miami DE Jason Taylor.
Steinbach made headlines after the loss to the Patriots, accusing an opponent of a late hit on rookie Thomas and QB Anderson. This week, he and Thomas will need to contain Taylor, last year's defensive player of the year. With Cleveland running back Jamal Lewis injured and possibly not at full strength, Miami is sure to see a lot of passes. Cleveland's offensive production rests on the arm of Anderson, so the offense needs to keep him on his feet against the league's third-ranked pass defense.
Did you know?
Miami running back Ronnie Brown aims to become the first Dolphin since Ricky Williams in 2003 to record four consecutive 100-yard rushing games. Brown leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 714 (425 rushing, 287 receiving) and is averaging 5.9 yards per carry vs. AFC opponents this season (360 yards, 61 attempts).
