The Cincinnati Bengals did what they had to do on Sunday to beat the lowly Miami Dolphins. In doing so, they head into their bye week with a winning record. At 3-2, they are technically in last place in the AFC North, but they are very much in the thick of things.
That’s not to say that things are perfect in Cincinnati, because they aren’t. After the first two games featuring a dominant defense, Al Golden’s men have struggled over the past three weeks. The offense, for all their star power, looks mediocre at times.
Before we get into some overreaction heading into the bye week, here are a few random thoughts on the Bengals’ Week 5 win over the Dolphins:
- Congratulations to Evan McPherson, whose 22nd consecutive made field goal set a new franchise record, surpassing the mark previously held by Shayne Graham.
- Joe Burrow completed over 70% of his passes and threw four touchdowns, but averaged just 5.1 yards per completion. Most of his afternoon was spent dinking and dunking underneath, taking what the defense gave him instead of pushing the ball downfield. On the rare occasions he takes a shot deep, however, he reminds everyone what he’s capable of:
- Jordan Battle has been hot for his performances in Weeks 3 and 4, and deservedly so. He responded with two interceptions against Miami, but what impressed me the most was his tackling. The battle was more reliable in the open field on Sunday, and this tackle might have saved a touchdown:
- The Bengals, thanks largely to their rebuilt defensive line, have been relatively successful at stopping the run between the tackles. When opposing running backs get outside, however, it’s a different story. After shutting down Houston’s rushing attack in Week 2, Cincinnati struggled to stop the ground games of the Steelers, Jaguars, and Dolphins. This is becoming a disturbing trend.
- I know the Bengals just won by a touchdown, but the game wasn’t as close as the final score suggests. Miami’s late touchdown was the very definition of garbage-time scoring. However, I don’t love the fact that the Bengals are the only team the Dolphins have scored more than 13 points against this season.
With the bye week just around the corner, here are some overreactions based on what we’ve seen from the Bengals through the first five weeks of the season.
Samaje Perine should be RB1
Zac Taylor decided to ride the hot hand Sunday in Miami, giving Perine 13 carries compared to Chase Brown’s 11.
That doesn’t mean Brown should be relegated to the bench.
Brown was more involved in the passing game, hauling in 24 receptions compared to Perine’s seven. Considering the Bengals have Joe Burrow under center and run a pass-first offense, Brown isn’t going anywhere.
Dexter Lawrence is not worth the No. 10 picks
After back-to-back losses in Weeks 3 and 4, followed by a game in which the Dolphins nearly doubled their combined scoring output from the previous four weeks, it’s clear the Bengals should have used their top-10 pick on someone who could actually transform their defense.
Lawrence earned the second-highest defensive grade among defensive linemen who played at least 50% of their team’s snaps, according to PFF, with an 82.5 grade. He also ranked third among defensive tackles in quarterback hurries.
And don’t overlook the improved play of linebackers Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. Much of their progress can be attributed to Lawrence occupying the blockers in front of them, allowing them to make plays they may not have been able to make a year ago.
Lawrence is not the problem. He is a big part of the solution.
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both caught 27 passes in five games, but Higgins had 423 receiving yards compared to Chase’s 289.
And that doesn’t mean a damn thing.
On almost any other team in the NFL, Higgins is undoubtedly the WR1. Unfortunately for him, he shares the field with the best wide receiver in football.
Chase can do things that almost no other receiver in the league can duplicate. Higgins is an amazing player, and there’s no denying that, but Chase is on another level.
Darrin Simmons is in the hot seat
Special teams hasn’t exactly been a bright spot for the Bengals this season.
Outside of Evan McPherson and the kicking game, the unit was responsible for some costly mistakes. In Week 3, a muffed punt and a roughing-the-kicker penalty cost Cincinnati 10 points. Against Miami, Lawrence was flagged for roughing the snapper on a field goal attempt, prolonging a drive that ultimately resulted in a Dolphins touchdown.
And that wasn’t the only special teams mistake on Sunday.
Here’s the thing, though: Simmons has been Cincinnati’s special teams coordinator since 2003 and has held the title of assistant head coach since 2020.
If there’s one thing Mike Brown and the Bengals’ front office are known for, it’s honesty. Simmons has been with the organization for more than two decades, and despite recent missteps, it’s hard to imagine him going anywhere.
He will likely be in Cincinnati until he decides to retire.
Tanner Hudson > Erick All
Erick All is back with the Bengals after an injury that kept him off the field for most of the last two seasons.
In the first four weeks, Cincinnati made a concerted effort to establish an offense that operated more often from under center. Unfortunately, the results have been mixed at best.
Against Miami, the Bengals moved away from that approach, possibly signaling a change in offensive philosophy coming off the bye.
If that’s the case, Hudson will see his role expand at the expense of Everyone.
That doesn’t mean Hudson is the better tight end. He’s more familiar with the shotgun-heavy offense the Bengals have relied on for the past two seasons, while All has spent most of that time recovering from injury.
If Cincinnati continues to lean on what Burrow does best, Hudson could find himself playing a bigger role moving forward.
What are some of your Bengals overreactions as the team heads into their bye week?
And we win (win), win (win) ugly
And we win (win), win (win) ugly
And we’re on our way to heartbreak
Head into the blues, yes