The 0-4 Miami Dolphins take on the 2-2 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Both teams, at different stages in their rebuild, are headed in different directions, so let's make some predictions as to what we could see in this Week 5 battle.
The Bengals' defense has been abysmal against tight ends. In three of their first four games, they've allowed a tight end to record 60 or more receiving yards. In Week 4 alone, they allowed 110 yards to the Jaguars' duo of Brenton Strange and Nate Boerkircher.
Prior to the game against the Vikings, coach Jeff Hafley stated a need to get Dulcich more involved in the offense. This didn't quite pan out, however, as the game script got away from the Dolphins, who only ran 37 offensive plays. Dulcich finished the game without recording a single target.
This must change against Cincinnati. Not simply because of their poor defense against tight ends, but because of Dulcich's ability to keep Miami on schedule. Not only did his big frame net him a 42-yard catch against the Chiefs, but his knack for creating yards after the catch presents some unique screen opportunities, some of which Bobby Slowik has already tapped into.
The Bengals offense has been among the most conservative in the league to begin 2026. Joe Burrow ranks in the bottom 10 in terms of air yards per attempt, and has the second-quickest time to throw among qualified quarterbacks, per NextGenStats.
When Burrow has been forced to hold on to the ball, his numbers have been poor. All three of his interceptions this season have been on throws over 2.5 seconds after the snap, where he ranks 19th in terms of EPA per dropback.
Miami's defense just had their best week against long pass plays, ranking top 12 in EPA per dropback on plays of 2.5 seconds or longer and recording four sacks . Now, they face another fluttering passing attack, who they could force into tough decisions if they keep up their pressure.
The Miami Dolphins have yet to hold a lead this season, they've allowed points on half of their opponents' drives, and they're dead last in points per game. Despite all of this, I can't help but feel a little magic as they return to Hard Rock Stadium.
In back-to-back weeks, against a pair of 4-0 teams, wins have felt a few key plays away. They've repeatedly made backbreaking errors , but have remained competitive and continued to strain through all four quarters.
Feeding off of the home crowd (similarly to week three against the Chiefs), I think Miami can put together their most cohesive game yet. The Bengals have been unimpressive, beating the Buccaneers and Texans who have combined for one win in 2026, while the Dolphins, especially on defense, have been steadily rising.
If the offense can string together multiple scoring drives, which has been a tall task, they can beat the Bengals, and record the first win of their new regime.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/onsi as Three Bold Predictions for the Miami Dolphins Against Cincinnati .
