The Miami Dolphins (3-0) will head to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on the Bengals (1-2) on Thursday Night Football.
The Dolphins beat the Bills in an impressive 21-19 win on Sunday, while the Bengals finally got it going with a 27-12 win against the Jets.
Both teams unfortunately got banged up in the process. Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Xavien Howard, and Jevon Holland for Miami, and Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins and D.J. Reader for Cincy. The only player named that has already been ruled OUT is Bengals DT D.J. Reader. Joe Mixon will play, and the rest are all questionable.
Let’s go over keys to victory for both teams, and then I will give you my prediction.
Miami:
1. Get Hill and Waddle going. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle have been the best WR duo in the league, combining for 658 yards and 5 TDs in just three games. Get them going, and Cincy will have a hard time coming by defensive stops.
2. Get the run game going. The Dolphins signed Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert in free agency this year and both have helped out a running game that was among the worst in the league last season. Create balance, and take pressure off of Tua.
3. Contain Chase and Higgins. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins haven’t had the starts most would’ve expected, but they are still great receivers that are very capable of going for 150+ yards and winning a game for their team. It will be a tough task to “stop” them, but don’t let them take the game over.
CINCINATTI:
1. Protect Joe Burrow/Get the ball out quick. Joe Burrow has been sacked 15 times in only three games, taking 5 sacks per game. That’s unacceptable and isn’t a good recipe for success or wins.
2. Be efficient in the run game. Joe Mixon was ELITE in 2021 but has started off slow in 2022, failing to surpass 3.1 YPC in any of the three games played thus far. When you can’t get the run game going, teams don’t respect it.
3. Pressure Tua. Tua is dealing with back and ankle soreness, and taking hits could affect his play in a bad way. The Bengals have the personnel, they just need to execute.
FINAL PREDICTION:
BENGALS: 29
DOLPHINS: 23
Responses
Good Call!
Im betting on the Phins for this one. They are underdogs but im not gonna question their record and their wins.
Tough game to predict. I would’ve said Bengals too…if I hadn’t watched Miami overtake the Bills. That said, Burrow loves the pressure.