Miami Dolphins: 3 players with something to prove against Bengals

Miami Dolphins players with something to prove

1. Mike Gesicki

The first three games of Mike Gesicki’s season have been a rollercoaster. He began the year with a 1 catch, 1-yard performance against the Patriots, but then bounced back with a 4 catch, 41-yard day in Baltimore in which his acrobatic touchdown catch proved to be crucial in Miami’s historic comeback.

Against the Bills, Gesicki again had just one catch, this time going for six yards, putting him at a total of 48 yards on the year. His snap counts are down, as he played in just 40 percent of the offensive plays on Sunday, a far cry from the 72 percent he played in 2021. His teammate in the tight end room, Durham Smythe, has an equal amount of targets and played in 74 percent of the snaps against the Bills.

But Gesicki has a chance to bounce back against the Bengals. Cincinnati has given up big numbers to tight ends already this season, with Tyler Conklin amassing 84 yards on 8 catches for the Jets last Sunday. And in Week 1, the Bengals gave up 115 yards to Steelers tight ends Pat Frelermuth and Zach Gentry.

Look for Dolphins coaches to find and exploit that potential weakness, and look for Gesicki to be the primary benefactor.