CLEVELAND – Tyler Huntley scrambled for a touchdown and threw one while starting for Tua Tagovailoa, and the Miami Dolphins stayed in the playoff race, heading into their season finale with a 20-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

With Tagovailoa sidelined with a hip injury, Huntley did enough to keep the Dolphins (8-8) alive with one game left.

Miami must win at the New York Jets next weekend and hope the Denver Broncos lose at home to Kansas City to secure a wild card spot. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and many of the Chiefs’ top-seeded starters are expected to take a break.

Tagovailoa’s status for next week is unclear, but Huntley has shown he can get the job done when needed.

He finished 22 of 26 for 225 yards and had no turnovers in his fourth start this season. The 26-year-old was in training camp with Cleveland before being released in August.

The Browns (3-13) lost their fifth straight game and finished 2-6 at home. They have improved their draft position for 2025, when they will likely be looking for a quarterback.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson is not the long-term answer. In his second straight start, the second-year QB completed 24 of 47 passes for 170 yards. He also threw an interception, lost a fumble and was warned three times for intentional grounding.

Both attacks struggled in windy and wet conditions, but Huntley coped better.

Early in the third quarter, he ran for a 13-yard touchdown to give the Dolphins a 13-3 lead. After rolling to his right, Huntley made several precise cuts as he made his way down the sideline and into the end zone.

The Browns had a chance to take the lead, but Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey deflected Thompson-Robinson’s fourth-and-goal pass to Jerry Jeudy in the end zone.

Huntley connected with tight end Jonnu Smith on a 7-yard TD with 3:38 left.

Miami’s Jason Sanders hit field goals of 54 and 39 yards. He scored a franchise-best 25 consecutive goals, helped by a friendly bounce off the crossbar on his 54-yarder in the first quarter.

The Browns evened the score when Dustin Hopkins, benched for a game during a recent slump, kicked a 25-yard field goal.

Happy birthday bag

Browns defensive end Myles Garrett celebrated his 29th birthday with two sacks.

Last season’s Defensive Player of the Year scored 14 points this season, making him the first player in league history to score that many points four years in a row.

Injuries

Dolphins: LT Terron Armstead suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and did not return. Patrick Paul stepped in. … WR Jaylen Waddle (knee) was inactive.

Browns: CB Denzel Ward (shoulder) did not play in the second half after being injured in the second quarter. … LB Jordan Hicks was sidelined with a head injury. … RB Jerome Ford (ankle) was substituted in the first half. He came back but was only on the field for one play after halftime. … RB Pierre Strong Jr. left the team in the final minutes with an apparent head injury.

Next

Dolphins: Finish the regular season on January 4th or 5th against the Jets.

Browns: Visit Baltimore next weekend.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL