The Browns will play in front of their home crowd at Huntington Bank Field for the final time this season when they take on the Dolphins in Week 17.

With a 3-12 record, the Browns are eager to earn a victory in their last home game of the season as they look to build momentum going into the offseason.

"(The Dolphins are) a group that certainly we respect and then we have to go play our best brand of football to go find a way to win in front of our fans," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "We're excited for the opportunity to go play one last time down there on the lake in front of our fans."

Here are three burning questions ahead of the Browns' Week 17 matchup against the Dolphins.

Can Jerome Ford continue creating explosive plays?

Since taking over as the lead running back after RB Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 15, RB Jerome Ford has shown his ability to make explosive plays.

In the second half of the Browns' Week 15 matchup against the Chiefs, Ford took off for a 62-yard touchdown. On the first play of the Browns' Week 16 loss to the Bengals, Ford once again showed his explosive potential, running 66 yards to the Cincinnati 11-yard line.

"Yeah, obviously he's an explosive player. He's got a good ability to run explosive and run physically and get some tough yards as well," offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said. "So, I do think that he provides some really good things for our offense. And he's an experienced player who's obviously got a lot of snaps under his belt. So, he's got some good feel for making those cuts, the burst through the hole and making guys miss with his quickness and his strength."

In Week 16 against the Bengals, the Browns rushed for 148 yards, their most in a single game this season. On Ford's opening run, LT Germain Ifedi slid to the right side to open up a gap for the running back. Downfield, WR Jerry Jeudy and WR Elijah Moore blocked a pair of Bengals to allow Ford to continue his long run.

When asked about his recent uptick in explosive plays, Ford credited the other players in the offense for creating holes for him and the other running backs on the team.

"I feel like it's just a testament to our offensive line and the wide receivers blocking on the edge. Without them, I wouldn't make any explosive plays," Ford said on Dec. 23. "So, I feel like all of us coming together and being able to get on the same page consistently in back-to-back weeks, I think we're starting to feel good about it."

Creating explosive runs against the Dolphins has proven to be a challenge this season but will be important if the Browns are to come away with a win in Week 17.

The Dolphins have allowed just 43 runs of 10 or more yards this season, the ninth-fewest in the NFL. Facing a stout defensive line, the Browns offensive line will have to work hard to create holes for Ford and the other running backs.

"Their inside guys are big, tall guys. Obviously, we've played Calais Campbell and he's still playing at a high level and (DT Zach Sieler) is playing really well too," LG Joel Bitonio said. "And they're all smart players, they know when you're running certain looks and stuff like that, so it'll be a good challenge."

Can the Browns pressure Tua Tagovailoa?

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL when under pressure this season.

In 2024, Tagovailoa has posted a 91.8 quarterback rating when under pressure, which ranks third in the NFL, and has completed 65.8 percent of his passes when under pressure, the highest in the NFL.

Stefanski said that the identity of the Dolphins offense helps eliminate pressure opportunities for opposing defenses. Tagovailoa has the fastest release in the NFL this season, taking just 2.42 seconds on average before each throw.

"I think that's what helps the pressure," Stefanski said. "You can blitz him and sometimes you get there, sometimes that ball's whistling out of there because that's just how fast they play. And he makes really, really quick decisions, and he has a very, very quick release."

Bringing down Tagovailoa has been a difficult task for opposing defenses this year, as he has only been sacked 21 times in 11 games.

Part of what enables Tagovailoa to avoid pressure and release the ball so quickly is the scheme the Miami offense runs. With an emphasis on screen passes, Tagovailoa is averaging 5.6 air yards per attempt this season, the fewest in the NFL.

The Browns defense, from the defensive line to the secondary, will have to work in tandem to keep Tagovailoa and the explosive Miami offense from making big plays.

"They have a lot of different ways just to get the ball in playmakers hands, whether they're wide receiver screens, running back screens, even tight end screens for run after the catch," defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. "And when you're a team that relies on run after the catch, it certainly puts an emphasis on tackling angles and pursuit."

Can the Browns avoid costly penalties and turnovers?

Costly penalties and ill-timed turnovers hurt the Browns in Week 16 against the Bengals, and they will look to play a cleaner game in Week 17 against Miami.

In his first start of the 2024 season, QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw two interceptions, both in the fourth quarter. RB D'Onta Foreman also fumbled at the goal line on the Browns' opening possession that set up the Bengals' first touchdown of the game.

The Browns also had a defensive miscue. On the Bengals' opening drive, they lined up at their own 1-yard line before a neutral zone infraction from LB Mohamoud Diabate gave them five yards of breathing room. Diabate has shown improvement as he takes on a larger role in the defense this season, and linebackers coach Jason Tarver hopes the second-year player learned from his mistake in Week 16.

"You can't get that cute near the line of scrimmage," Tarver said. "But one of the best things about Mohamoud is once he experiences it, he goes, 'Okay, I got this, I'm locking in'. And he really is a one-time correction linebacker player and we're proud of him for that and we'll keep him going."

This season, the Dolphins have five fumble recoveries and eight interceptions. While their 13 total takeaways are tied for the 26^th-most in the NFL this season, their offense has capitalized on a majority of the Dolphins' defensive takeaways. Of the Dolphins' 13 takeaways this season, the offense has scored on eight of the ensuing drives.

"We are all responsible for (turnovers) and then a lot goes into protecting the ball," passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea said. "It's definitely an emphasis point that we've tried to make here in the last couple of weeks because some of the turnovers that we had."