Three in a row?

If there is any question as to whether the Browns will win their third straight home game against the pitiful Miami Dolphins Sunday, you haven’t been paying attention. The only question is by how much.

This is the feel-good portion of the 2019 schedule where the Browns kick it into desperation gear as they furiously attempt to make up for their 2-6 record in the first half of the season with dreams of the postseason prancing in the air.

The Dolphins are really quite bad. Don’t let their 2-8 record fool you. They are worse than the winless Cincinnati Bengals, who appear twice on the Cleveland schedule in the final month. You’ll see that when the two teams clash late next month in the battle for the No 1 pick in the college draft.

The once-proud Dolphins sport statistics that make the Browns of the last two decades look decent. They have no running game to speak of and a 36-year-old Harvard-educated journeyman quarterback playing with his eighth team in his 15^th National Football League campaign.

They throw the football on two of every three snaps mainly because their running game is so bad, they pretty much have to go upstairs in order to move the chains.

The Cleveland pass rush, or what’s left of it with the suspensions of Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi and third straight absence of Olivier Vernon due to a knee injury, should have no problem against an offensive line that has allowed 46 sacks. Look for more blitzing from defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

The seemingly indefatigable Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is 5-1 against the Browns over the years and completes 63% of his passes this season, works behind that line and has absorbed 24 of those sacks, 18 in the last four games. He’ll operate at a distinct disadvantage against the Browns.

He lost his best running back (Kenyan Drake) to a trade several weeks ago; his best wide receiver, rookie Preston Williams, a couple of weeks ago to a torn ACL; and Mark Walton, who replaced Drake at running back until being cut after his arrest recently for criminal assault against his pregnant girlfriend.

Kalen Ballage and his 122 yards is the lone running threat, while wideouts DeVante Parker, Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson pose the greatest threat to a Cleveland secondary operating with Juston Burris replacing Morgan Burnett (done for the season with an Achilles tear) at strong safety.

Browns fans now get a chance to see if defensive end Chad Thomas, an abysmal failure as a rookie last season, can make up for it while filling in for Garrett the rest of the season. He has logged three sacks in limited opportunities, including one in each of the last two games.

Chris Smith and newcomer Bryan Cox Jr. figure to split time at the other end while Devaroe Lawrence and Eli Ankou fill in for Ogunjobi alongside Sheldon Richardson, the lone healthy veteran along the defensive line.

The Miami defense, which coughed up 163 points in the first four games (while the offense scored only 26), has actually improved, allowing a mere142 points in the last six outings. They permitted only 30 points in knocking off the New York Jets and Indianapolis back-to-back.

This is not a team with which the Browns should encounter any problems, injuries on the defense notwithstanding. Unless, that is, linebacker Joe Schobert, the glue of the defense, is unable to go due to a groin injury.

The offensive side of the football, however, is healthy and showing signs of coming around. The club announced Friday that tight end David Njoku, out since week two, will be ready to go by the following Sunday in the rematch in Pittsburgh,

Baker Mayfield, who has gone three straight games without an interception, seems to have found the formula to extend plays and put more pressure on opposing defenses. He is also beginning to involve Odell Beckham Jr. more in the offense.

And now with Kareem Hunt proving his worth on a weekly basis, coach Freddie Kitchens and offensive coordinator Todd Monken can take advantage of his talent at a number of places on the field.

The Browns offense, which has scored more than 23 points a game only twice and 19 or fewer points in six games this season, should thrive against a Miami defense that permits nearly 400 yards a game, 148 on the ground, and allows opposing quarterbacks to complete 64% of their passes,

All signs point toward the Browns’ third straight victory at home in a relative breeze. Anything less, even in victory, would be a huge disappointment. Playing down to your opponent’s talent level is a disturbing sign and that is what the Browns must avoid.

They do, but not in the first half when the Dolphins play them to a virtual standstill. The offense once again stumbles in the red zone after Nick Chubb’s strong running gets them there and Austin Seibert tacks on three more field goals. In the second half, Mayfield locks in and connects for a pair of scores while the defense shuts down the Miami attack to wind up an unbeaten homestand. Make it:

Browns 23, Dolphins 10