Cincinnati Bengals Vs. Miami Dolphins: Bold Predictions For Week 4 Of 2016 NFL Season


The Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals will kick off the new week of NFL football. According to ESPN, the Dolphins will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, to face off against the Bengals. Miami is coming into this game as a touchdown underdog. This game will be televised on the NFL Network at 7:25 p.m. Central Time.

Both teams are coming to this match-up with 1-2 records. For the Bengals, this is the first time they have been below .500 since 2014. They are in uncharted territory. Last week, Cincinnati was defeated by the Denver Broncos 29-17.

The Bengals struggled to put up points against the Broncos and the defense had some breakdowns. For the first three games, Cincinnati has been playing without star linebacker Vontaze Burfict. He has been serving a three-game suspension. Burfict was granted a three-day exemption that allows him to resume activities with the team and be active for the game on Thursday.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Bengals have been playing without starting tight end Tyler Eifert. He has not played a game yet this season. Eifert had offseason ankle surgery and could be back on the field soon.

With Tyler Eifert out, Cincinnati still has plenty of offensive weapons for Andy Dalton. The former TCU Horned Frogs star has thrown for 938 yards to go with two touchdowns this year. Jeremy Hill is the leading rusher for the Bengals. Last season, they split the carries with Hill and Giovani Bernard.

This season, the Bengals have been using Giovani Bernard more like a receiver than a rusher. Bernard has 50 yards rushing and 141 yards receiving on 16 receptions. A.J. Green is the team’s leading receiver with 295 yards on 22 receptions and a touchdown. Green had 128 yards on 11 receptions in the last match up against the Dolphins.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert
Tyler Eifert [Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images]

Cincinnati has a very talented offense and they could take advantage of an underperforming Dolphins defense. Miami gave up 430 total yards against the Cleveland Browns and 169 yards came from the running game.

The Bengals defensive line could have a field day with Miami’s offensive line. The Dolphins offensive line is currently dealing with some injuries. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins has 41 sacks since 2011, the most out of all defensive tackles in the NFL. Carlos Dunlap has nine sacks in his last 10 home games.

The Dolphins have been struggling thus far this season. They got their first win last week against the Cleveland Browns. Miami needed overtime to win that game. Jay Ajayi scored the game-winning touchdown.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill [Image by Eric Espada/Getty Images]

Ryan Tannehill is the man that is leading the Dolphins offense. The former Texas A&M Aggies star has thrown for 892 yards to go with five touchdowns. Tannehill is also the team’s leading rusher with 54 yards.

Miami will need one of their running backs to step up and help balance the offense. Arian Foster has been sidelined with an injury. He is expected to miss the game. The Dolphins will start Jay Ajayi again and he is expected to share reps with rookie Kenyan Drake.

The Dolphins have been passing the ball a lot this season. The team hired Adam Gase to be the head coach and they are expecting him to push Ryan Tannehill to the next level. Tannehill’s main target is Jarvis Landry. Landry has 314 yards on 24 reception and one touchdown.

Both teams have a lot of talent on their rosters. One match-up to watch will be the wide receivers. Jarvis Landry and A.J. Green have been spectacular so far this season. Both guys are in the top 10 in receiving yards. The Dolphins have won the last three games against Cincinnati. The final score prediction is Bengals 21, Dolphins 16.

[Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]

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