The Miami Dolphins will play on Thursday Night this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. Here are 4 bold predictions for the best team in the AFC.
The Miami Dolphins are off to a 3-0 start, and sit atop the standings in the AFC after an off-season of both hype and scrutiny. They’ll look to keep things rolling this week as they head to Cincinnati to face off against the Bengals.
The Dolphins will have their hands full. They are the visiting team on a short week, and are coming off of a grind-it-out game in Week 3 that had Bills players gasping for air and their fans filing grievances against the sun. Miami will assuredly have some level of fatigue, and it will take good performances all around in order for them to top the reigning AFC Champions.
Here are four predictions for the Miami Dolphins in their Thursday Night prime time appearance:
Prediction #1: Ogbah and Phillips both get a sack
The defense had a very solid performance against the Bills, and have been mostly reliable throughout the first three games of the season. But there is a big question mark when it comes to the pass rush, and Josh Boyer and company had better figure out the problem quickly.
The two premiere pass rushers that Miami has on their roster, Jaelan Phillips and Emmanuel Ogbah, have combined for just one sack so far this season. After being tied for 5th with most team sacks in 2021, the early regression has become obvious.
Thursday Night could be the game that gets both players back on track. The Bengals offensive line play was subpar in 2021, and they spent on free agents in the off-season to try and remedy the issue. But Joe Burrow is already tied for the league lead in times sacked with 15, as the same woes continue to plague the line in Cincinnati.
This could mean noticeable production for Miami’s main pass rushers, and not a moment too soon.
Miami Dolphins Week 4 Predictions:
2. The absence of Byron Jones finally shows
The news that Byron Jones would miss the first four games of the season hit hard when it was announced, given the quarterbacks that the Dolphins were to face over the first quarter of the schedule. And aside from some broken coverages in the Ravens game, things have gone relatively smoothly for the secondary in the veteran cornerback’s absence.
Miami’s luck could run out this Thursday. Kader Kohou has done a solid job of filling in, but there is only so much that can be expected of an undrafted rookie free agent, especially against an attack as deep as Cincinnati’s. Xavien Howard will assuredly be locked in with Ja’Marr Chase all game, so it will be up to Nik Needham, Kohou, and others to account for the likes of Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
Jones will be eligible to return in Week 5 against the Jets, and it may be just what the Dolphins need after Thursday night. But given the circumstances and the teams that Miami has already played against and defeated, Jones’ visit to the IR was not such a detriment after all. Depending on how things shake out in Cincinnati, of course.
Miami Dolphins Week 4 Predictions:
3. Jaylen Waddle has an “off” night, Tyreek Hill goes for 100+
The Dolphins have a two-headed monster when it comes to their wide receivers, and defenses will be struggling to game plan against them all season long. They currently rank second and third in the NFL in receiving yards, and are big contributors to the team’s early success.
Tyreek Hill’s production has been more up and down, but Jaylen Waddle has been a bit more consistent with his. He had 69 yards in Week 1, then exploded for 171 in Week 2, followed up with another 100+ yard performance against the Bills.
Is Week 4 going to be when Waddle has something of an “off” game?
It won’t really matter if you’re a fan of victories over statistics, because less production for Waddle likely means more for Hill, a formula built for success and a big reason for the 3-0 start. And while Tua Tagovailoa has said that it won’t affect how he prepares for the game, he is certainly aware of the rift between Hill and Bengals cornerback Eli Apple, and could feed Tyreek a couple of extra times here and there.
It may be bad news for your fantasy team, but Waddle assuredly wouldn’t mind sacrificing some catches in favor of his wide receiver running mate.
Miami Dolphins Week 4 Predictions:
4. Miami is handed its first loss of the season
I thought it would come last week, and we all thought it would come the week before, but this will be the first game that the Dolphins lose during the 2022 season.
A road game on a very short week is always tough, as more visiting Thursday Night teams can attest to. But there is an added layer of fatigue this week after the scorching marathon of a contest played in Miami last Sunday.
The Bills obviously took the brunt of the heat exhaustion, but the Dolphins’ defense was on the field for 90+ plays, and will be expected to perform against what was one of the highest-powered offenses a season ago. Add in the aforementioned absence of Byron Jones and you can start to understand why 3-0 Miami is a 3+ point underdog.
Don’t kill the messenger, because the sky isn’t falling. If you haven’t looked at the upcoming schedule for the Dolphins, take a peek. There are dates with the Jets, Steelers, Lions, and Bears looming, and a loss against the Bengals could be one of the few we see before the Week 11 bye.