Bengals vs. Dolphins Preview, Game of the Week?
Sam Greene - The Enquirer
There are three games this week that have the potential to be the Game of the Week.
The first is Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football Oct. 2, but given how underwhelming the Bucs have played so far this year, it may end up being a blowout.
The second game is Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and are having great seasons from the jump, so it will be fun to watch them battle it out Oct. 2.
The last game, and the one I’m most looking forward to is Cincinnati Bengals vs. Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, Sept. 29.
The Bengals are coming off of a slow start to the season, but bounced back last weekend against the New York Jets. The Dolphins are riding high after starting the season 3-0, including an impressive win against the Bills last week. The biggest struggle for each team is going to be the short week of preparation since they play on Thursday instead of Sunday.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is a bit shaken up following last week's game, after he came out of the game late in the first half after getting hit hard. He came back after halftime, but Sept. 27, head coach Mike McDaniel said he was dealing with some ankle soreness following the game. This ankle soreness could give the Bengals an advantage this week.
This is a huge game for the Bengals. They are heading back home after two road games, including a win, and fans are excited. On Tuesday, they announced their uniforms for the game which entail white pants, white jersey, and a brand new white helmet with black tiger stripes. It’s a white out for the city of Cincinnati, and everyone is pumped up. Paycor stadium is going to be electric Thursday night.
Game Preview
The biggest takeaway from the Dolphins game last week was that their pass defense has holes. Allen threw for 400 yards and two touchdowns against them, while Tagovailoa only had 186 yards.
It’s no secret that the Bengals have great offensive weapons. They have Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd at wide receiver, Joe Mixon at running back, and obviously Joe Burrow at quarterback.
The Dolphins have a strong pass rush, so the offensive line must step up to give Burrow time to throw the ball. If Burrow can hit his receivers this week, the offense will be very successful. Last week, the Dolphins gave up 115 rushing yards, so if Mixon can bounce back from last week’s quiet game and run like he usually does, they will put a lot of points on the board.
The Dolphins offense wasn’t all that spectacular last week against Buffalo. They only rushed for 41 yards, and Tagovailoa only threw for 183 yards. The Bengals secondary needs to come out strong however, with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill at wide receiver. Those two are the key to the Dolphins success, and they need to be covered well in order to stop their offense.
Cincinnati Enquirer
The Dolphins are undefeated for a reason. They are a good team that knows how to win. The Bengals also know their potential and are ready to fight for the win. They continue to stay focused on the current task at hand, and this will show during the game. You don’t want to miss this incredible matchup Sept. 29.
Where to Watch
Miami Dolphins (3-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-2), 9/29 @ 8:15 pm EST on Prime Video
