Cleveland Browns facing trap game vs Dolphins

The Cleveland Browns have had a very busy week after their Thursday night win. But nobody is talking about next week’s game.

“It’s a trap!” These famous words from Star Wars’ Admiral Ackbar have become the subject of many memes. But the words never fit so well as they do in describing this week’s matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Miami Dolphins.

These are two teams headed in very different directions. The Dolphins are tanking. Browns fans can relate. But despite their overt attempts at tanking to get a high draft pick, the Dolphins have won two of the last three games. The Browns who had high hopes for this season have won two in a row.

On paper, this game looks to be an easy win for the Browns. But games are not played on paper. They are played on the field. And they are played by real players who are sometimes distracted by the circumstances around them.

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If any team in the NFL has a reason to be distracted, it is the Browns. Their best defender was just suspended indefinitely for hitting a player in the head with their own helmet. Another defender is appealing a suspension from the same incident. They are surrounded by a media constantly asking questions and a national media jumping on the “righteous anger” pile.

Also, the Browns have just come off an emotional win that felt like a loss. They won the game. Some people have lost sight of that fact. But the way the game ended was extremely emotionally draining.

Further complicating the Miami game is the fact that the Browns will face those same Pittsburgh Steelers again after this week. The short turn around to seeing the Steelers again leaves very little time for the emotional wound to heal.

Instead, it feels as if the Browns fans have already begun looking past the Dolphins as an easy win on their way to the real game a week later against the Steelers. There has been very little chatter by Browns twitter about the upcoming Dolphins game. But a lot about the Steelers.

It’s important for the good guys in Orange and Brown (you know the people who really matter) to stay focused on the week ahead of them. It will be very difficult to stay focused.

It is head coach Freddie Kitchens’ job is to make that happen. He needs to find a way to keep the players focused on the Dolphins and the challenges ahead.

Cleveland went 0-16 in 2017. It was not easy to do. Everything has to go wrong all at the same time. The Dolphins have beat that record in part because teams are taking them lightly.

The Browns are in a bad position. They’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. They’re in position coming off an emotional win to overlook a Dolphins team which has played better in recent weeks.

“It’s a trap!” Freddie better have them ready.