The Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) travel to face the winless Miami Dolphins (0-4) on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET on Fox. The Bengals vs Dolphins matchup pits a Cincinnati offense trying to find its footing after consecutive losses against a Miami team that has yet to find the end zone with any consistency this season. The biggest question entering Week 5 is whether the Bengals can get key pieces of their passing attack healthy enough to take advantage of a struggling Dolphins defense.
Cincinnati Bengals Vs Miami Dolphins Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 11
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
- TV: Fox
- Records: Bengals 2-2, Dolphins 0-4
Will Ja’Marr Chase And Tee Higgins Be Available?
Both Bengals wide receivers carry questionable designations heading into Sunday. Ja’Marr Chase is going through the NFL‘s concussion protocol after getting hurt in the second half of Cincinnati’s Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN.
Tee Higgins is also questionable with an adductor injury suffered on a catch in the final minutes against Jacksonville, per ESPN. Higgins still finished that game with 11 catches for 157 yards, numbers that help explain why Cincinnati’s passing attack cleared 400 yards team-wide in Week 4. Total Apex Sports previously reported on Higgins’ day-to-day status after the injury occurred. Wide receiver Andrei Iosivas remains on injured reserve following thumb surgery, and Colbie Young is dealing with a knee injury from the Pittsburgh game with no confirmed return timetable, leaving Cincinnati thinner at the position than it was a month ago.
How Has Joe Burrow Performed Through Four Games?
Joe Burrow has completed 112 of 157 passes for 1,171 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions this season, numbers that rank among the better marks in the league through four weeks. He threw for 428 yards against Jacksonville alone, going 39 of 54 with a touchdown and two interceptions in that loss.
Burrow addressed Cincinnati’s two-game skid directly. “We’re still very confident. And we have guys in the locker room who feel real good about who we are, where we are and what we’re going to do,” Burrow said, according to Yahoo Sports.
“Obviously, the last two weeks haven’t gone the way we wanted. I was proud of us fighting back in that fourth quarter.”
Bengals coach Zac Taylor struck a similar tone about navigating the injuries at receiver. “Just got to make it work,” Taylor said. “No one wants to hear any reason why that wouldn’t work.”
What Is Going Wrong For The Dolphins?
Miami has lost all four games to start the season, including a 15-10 defeat at Minnesota in Week 4 in which quarterback Malik Willis threw for just 85 yards. For the season, Willis has completed 56.3% of his passes for 712 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Dolphins are averaging just 11.5 points per game and have scored only one passing touchdown and three rushing touchdowns through four contests, with a turnover differential of minus-2.
A Bengals safety said the team has identified a tendency in Willis’ mechanics it plans to exploit. “He has a little slight little tap before every throw though, so I feel like we could use that as a key to break on the ball,” the safety said, according to Bleacher Report. “He likes to tap the ball before he throws it, or he takes his hand off, and that gives the read the break. He’s obviously dangerous with his feet.”
By The Numbers
- Points per game: Bengals 24.3, Dolphins 11.5
- Passing yards per game: Bengals 292.8, Dolphins 178.0
- Rushing yards per game: Bengals 74.3, Dolphins 104.0
- Third-down conversion rate: Bengals 45.28%, Dolphins 38.00%
- Red zone scoring rate: Bengals 83.33%, Dolphins 88.89%
- Sacks allowed per game: Bengals 2.3, Dolphins 2.8
- Total takeaways: Bengals 5, Dolphins 3
- Turnover differential: Bengals 0, Dolphins -2
Key Matchup: Bengals Passing Attack Vs Dolphins Secondary
Cincinnati’s defense ranks 26th in the league in passing yards allowed per game, a weakness that could matter less against a Dolphins offense averaging only 178 passing yards per contest. The more consequential matchup sits on the other side of the ball. Cincinnati’s passing game, which produced 400-plus yards against Jacksonville, faces a Miami defense that has allowed opposing offenses enough room to help push the Dolphins to 0-4.
How much Chase and Higgins can play, given their questionable tags, will shape how much Cincinnati can lean on that strength. Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati’s tight end, scored two touchdowns against Jacksonville and has four on the season, giving Burrow a reliable target regardless of the receivers’ availability. Cincinnati’s rushing attack, which managed just 74.3 yards per game, was also the unit that stalled most often in the loss to Jacksonville, putting more weight on the passing game to carry the offense.
Players To Watch
Joe Burrow, Bengals Quarterback
Burrow carries a 99.5 passer rating into Week 5 and has thrown for 1,171 yards already this season. His ability to spread the ball if Chase and Higgins are limited will be a central storyline.
Malik Willis, Dolphins Quarterback
Willis has struggled to generate consistent production, with just 85 passing yards in Miami’s most recent loss to Minnesota. Cincinnati’s defense has already identified a pre-throw habit it plans to target.
Mike Gesicki, Bengals Tight End
Gesicki’s two touchdowns against Jacksonville raised his season total to four, making him a weapon Cincinnati can rely on in the red zone.
What To Watch
Cincinnati sits at 2-2 and tied for second in the AFC North, while Miami remains the only winless team in the AFC East. A Bengals win would keep pace with Pittsburgh in the division race, while Miami is still searching for its first victory of the season. The health of Chase and Higgins, officially listed as questionable, will be confirmed closer to kickoff and will likely dictate how Cincinnati’s offense is deployed on Sunday.
Both teams return to action in Week 6, with further injury updates expected as the Bengals finalize their game-day roster.
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