Offensively, the Miami Dolphins haven't been good. There is little consistency from series to series, let alone from play to play. Not having one of your top wide receivers on the field is part of that problem.
Douglas went down with an ankle injury in Week 2 and has not returned to practice since. Expectations were high for a Week 5 return, but Jeff Hafley threw cold water on that hopeful news.
Speaking with the press on Wednesday, Hafley said that Douglas "Will be out today, but he is getting better." That isn't the news fans were hoping for. Now, the hope is that the head coach's comments are simply serving as a bluff to the Bengals' preparation.
Caleb Douglas still needs more time before he is ready to rejoin the Miami Dolphins
In Week 1, Douglas got off to a quick start with 90-plus receiving yards. He left the 49ers game early, and that has had an impact on the entire offensive system.
Without Douglas, the Dolphins have used Malik Washington more and tried to get Chris Bell more involved, but nothing has brought consistent success on that side of the ball.
Miami has only 654 receiving yards this season. Their opponents have 906. 94 of those yards came in Week 1 to Douglas. The Dolphins also have only one passing touchdown through the first four weeks
Douglas isn't an elite NFL receiver, but he has proven to be the best of what Miami has. He has built strong trust with Malik Willis, and his quick bursts and route running create openings that the other receivers aren't generating.
If Willis doesn't play this week, he will likely return in Week 7 following the team's Week 6 bye. The extra two weeks should be enough, especially if Hafley believes he is getting closer to returning.
Douglas spent the offseason being criticized as an overreached selection in the early part of round three, but he has shown everything but being a bust. Bell, taken later in the third round, isn't where he needs to be, but he is coming off a serious ACL injury from last December. There is expected to be rust.
Looking at the Dolphins' offensive statistics is numbing. Malik Washington leads the team with 219 yards, followed by Douglas at number two with 113. When you figure in that he has missed two and a half games this year, it drives home how poorly the receivers are playing. Or how poorly Malik Willis is, depending on how you look at it.
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