Bengals (4-10) at Dolphins (6-8) Sunday, Dec. 21 at Hard Rock Stadium (natural grass), 1 p.m. ET, TV: CBS Locally WKRC-TV Ch. 12 (Cincinnati) Spero Dedes (PBP), Adam Archuleta (analyst), Aditi Kinkhabwala (sideline). Radio: Dan Hoard, Dave Lapham. 700 WLW AM, WEBN-FM (102.7 FM), ESPN1530.
CINCINNATI — The string begins here.
The Bengals look to get back in the win column when they face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. Cincinnati is coming off the first shutout loss in the career of Joe Burrow, a 24-0 blanking to Baltimore in Week 15 that eliminated the Bengals from playoff contention and dropped them to 4-10. As they turn the page to this week’s matchup in Miami, head coach Zac Taylor has stated that his goal remains to finish out the schedule with his team trending in a positive direction.
“We want to finish the season on a really strong note,” said Taylor. “That’s important to me. That should be important to everybody. We’re in this business to win football games. We haven’t won enough football games, and it’s very important we go out and win, starting this week. Forget about the last two — going down to Miami and putting our best foot forward.”
One area of improvement throughout the season has been the defense. After starting out as statistically the worst in the NFL for the first six games, it has started to show signs of maturity from first and second-year players with third-year players DJ Turner and Dax Hill providing the foundation in the secondary. Cincinnati has seven takeaways over its past three games, and in its most recent contest against Baltimore, both edge Myles Murphy and rookie linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. posted multiple sacks for the first time in their careers.
“There was a lot of great moments from the defense (against Baltimore),” said Taylor. “Getting off the field on third down, getting pressure on Lamar (Jackson), the four sacks, creating a turnover after we turned the ball over. There are some things that they’re improving on that we’re going to continue to build off. I think that’s tangible. That’s showing up. Anybody who is watching the game can see that improvement being made, and there are a lot of young players that are participating in that — second- and third-year players that are showing growth through the season.”
While defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. landed on injured reserve this week with a left ankle injury, the Bengals get a boost this weekend with the return of rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart, returning from IR after missing five games with a left knee injury. Stewart has played in just five of 14 games this season. He is still looking for his first NFL sack. Besides Jenkins, the Bengals will have three other players miss the game with ankle injuries, including Joseph Ossai, Charlie Jones and Noah Fant.
While the Bengals’ offense was stifled by the Ravens in Week 15, some of Cincinnati’s top contributors still have either career milestones or season high statistical marks within reach over the final three games. Joe Burrow will play in his 75th career regular-season game on Sunday, and he has a chance to rank within the top five in NFL history in completions, passing yards and TD passes among all players through their first 75 contests.
Helping Burrow achieve those feats will be Ja’Marr Chase, who ranks fourth in the league in receptions (101) and receiving yards (1147) this season. Chase’s production continues to rival some of the best to ever line up at his position, as he recently joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history with at least 6500 receiving yards and 50 receiving TDs in their first five career seasons. In the Bengals’ backfield, third-year, running back Chase Brown has come on strong over the past two months, and heads into the final stretch of the season needing 234 yards from scrimmage to match his career-high of 1350 recorded last year.
Chase can join Amon-Ra St. Brown (524, in fifth season) and Michael Thomas (510) as the only players ever with at least 500 receptions in their first five NFL seasons. Chase has 496 receptions and is in his fifth career season. Chase can also surpass Torry Holt (6,784) for the second-most receiving yards by a player in his first five NFL seasons all-time, trailing only Justin Jefferson (7,432). Chase has 6,572 career receiving yards and is in his fifth career season.
The Bengals had hoped that the schedule finish of the Dolphins, Cardinals and the Browns would provide a path to the playoffs. Now, all it can do is help Burrow pad his numbers and help Chase make a run at a receiving title in terms of receptions and yards.
Miami enters with a 6-8 record this season, and is coming off a road loss at Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football in Week 15. The Dolphins have won each of their last three home contests.
The series: Miami has been the second-toughest opponent the Bengals have encountered in their 58-year history, based on series winning percentage. The Dolphins hold an 18-8 edge, including 1-0 in postseason, for a .692 success rate. Their overall winning percentage against the Bengals trails only the San Francisco 49ers (13-5, .722).
The two squads are even over the past 10 games, with the series tied 5-5 in that span, dating back to 2004. However, Miami previously had won nine straight meetings from 1978-2000. The Dolphins also lead 9-2 overall in games played in Miami. The one playoff game in series history was an AFC Divisional contest in 1973 at the Orange Bowl, won 34-16 by the Dolphins.
Here’s what to look for:
- When the Bengals have the ball:
Joe Burrow has passed for 19,960 yards and 148 touchdowns in 74 career games since entering the league in 2020. With 40 passing yards on Sunday at Miami, Burrow can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 20,000 passing yards in his first 75 career games, joining Patrick Mahomes (22,799 passing yards), Matthew Stafford (21,254), Andrew Luck (20,569) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (20,293). With two touchdown passes in Week 16, Burrow can become the third player in NFL history with at least 150 touchdown passes in his first 75 career games, joining Patrick Mahomes (181 touchdown passes) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (173). Ja’Marr Chase had 10 receptions for 132 yards in his 75th career game in Week 15. Chase has 6,572 receiving yards in 75 career games and surpassed Odell Beckham Jr. (6,511 receiving yards) for the fourth-most receiving yards by a player in their first 75 career games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (7,532 receiving yards), Julio Jones (7,306) and Justin Jefferson (7,286) have more. Chase, who has 6,572 receiving yards and 51 receiving touchdowns in his career, joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history with at least 6,500 receiving yards and at least 50 receiving touchdowns in their first five career seasons.
- When the Dolphins have the ball:
De’Von Achane became the fifth running back since 2000 with at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in each of his first three career seasons, joining Jahmyr Gibbs (reached milestone in Week 12), Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson. Achane became the sixth running back in the Super Bowl era with at least 20 rushing touchdowns and 10 receiving touchdowns in his first three career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen, Roger Craig, Chuck Foreman, Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey. Achane has 21 rushing touchdowns and 13 receiving touchdowns. With head coach Mike McDaniel in charge, the Dolphins are a run-first team and the Bengals front and linebackers will be tested.
- Bottom Line:
It’s been two weeks of self-reflection and some doubt in the mind of Joe Burrow. With the reality of missing the playoffs for a third straight season setting in, this is the kind of game where perhaps he takes a deep breath and lets loose. Burrow finds Ja’Marr Chase for two touchdowns, DJ Turner turns in a pick-6 against Quinn Ewers and the Bengals put 35 in a rare blowout of 2025.
Bengals 35, Dolphins 17
