The Miami Dolphins traveled to Ohio to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals in week 12. The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t had much luck this season, but they were coming off of a huge victory against the New England Patriots and they were feeling pretty invincible when the Dolphins came into town. The Cincinnati Bengals were without Joe Burrow in this game, but it didn’t seem to matter because their defense came to play. The Miami Dolphins started the game on offense and they were able to drive down the field with relative ease, but as we have seen so many times with this team, they turned the ball over in the redzone. On first and goal, Russell Wilson targeted the tight end coming out of the backfield, but Germaine Pratt read the intended pass the entire way and picked off Wilson. Pratt was able to outrun everyone on the field for a touchdown to give the Bengals the first points of the game. Proceeding the kickoff, Russell Wilson was able to march his team down the field and hookup with Jaylen Waddle for a touchdown to tie the game.
Miami trailed Cincinnati 17-18 heading into halftime and the Dolphins needed some help if they wanted to win this game. The two defenses played their hearts out and the second half of the game featured less offense, but with six minutes left in the game, the Cincinnati Bengals took a 27-24 lead. The Dolphins were at their best in this game when Russell Wilson wasn’t overthinking his passes. The Bengals played aggressively throughout some parts of the game and bit them when they decided to press up against Mami’s speedy receivers near midfield with four minutes left in the game. Will Fuller skated by the corner covering him and the Dolphins took a four point lead in the fourth quarter. Joe Mixon was running like a wild horse all over Miami’s defense, but without a break, he was looking very tired in the fourth quarter. There were roughly two minutes left in the game when Joe Mixon broke into the second level of the defense, but unfortunately for him, Jerome Baker unleashed a devastating hit that forced the ball to the ground and it paved the way for the Miami Dolphins to win this game 31-27.
Russell Wilson had one of the worst games of his career against the Bengals. He completed just 17 passes of his 31 attempts. He threw for 279 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. His 54% completion rate was appalling and this game cost him a few spots in the MVP race and it almost cost the Dolphins a shot at the playoffs. Coach Fallen didn’t stray away from the passing even though Wilson was struggling. Another odd note, Salvon Ahmed, the running back who has struggled all season long to break off more than a ten yard gain was having a fantastic game on the ground. He carried the ball 12 times for 113 yards and caught 3 passes for 21 yards and a touchdown. The Dolphins struggled mightily on offense against the Bengals, but their defense has to be highlighted despite giving up 27 points. They deployed a bend but don’t break defense and when they needed them, they were able to force several huge turnovers. The Miami Dolphins haven’t had much success when rushing the pass this season, but they were able to put a lot of pressure on Kirk Cousins. They brought down the Bengals quarterback three times this game and pressured him on almost every one of his drop backs.
Offensive Statline of the Game –
Will Fuller – 4 receptions for 102 yards and 1 touchdown.
Will Fuller did not light up the stat sheet, but his touchdown was the go ahead touchdown that gave the Miami Dolphins all the leverage that they needed to secure the victory. Will Fuller hasn’t been targeted nearly as much this season as he was last season, but still has the second most touchdown receptions on the team.
Defensive Statline of the Game –
Jerome Baker – 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
Jerome Baker had played at the highest level the past couple of seasons for the Dolphins. His impact on this game can be widely considered as the reason that they were able to win. When it is time to renegotiate his contract, the Miami Dolphins are going to have to make him one of the highest paid linebackers in the league. The Dolphins have plenty of cap space this upcoming season, but Baker won’t need to be re-signed for a couple of seasons.
The Miami Dolphins have to travel to Minnesota in week 13 and this is another game that could get out of hand if they do not prepare as they normally would. The Minnesota Vikings are having one of the worst seasons ever in team history and they are going to have to address the quarterback position in the off-season because second year starter Kellen Mond is definitely not the answer for them. The Vikings and the Dolphins were in talks to send Tua to Minnesota, but trade talks boggled when the Seahawks came calling about the possibility of sending Russell Wilson to Miami. Dalvin Cook is one of the best running backs in the league, but the Minnesota Vikings haven’t utilized his abilities thus far this season. Dalvin Cook has only rushed the ball 86 times for 587 yards, however, he was suspended for the first four games of the season. Despite his lack of production, Coach Fallen highlighted how dynamic of a running back that he is and it will be one of their priorities in this game to stop Dalvin Cook before he ever gets going. The Dolphins are 29th against the rush and despite his better efforts, they haven’t had much success this season. Coach Fallen has devised a plan for his team to add additional formations to their defensive playbook. The Dolphins have a base 3-4 defense, but when they are spread out, they struggle. Coach Fallen likes to run a zone based nickel defense, but with how unsuccessful that has been, look for the Miami Dolphins to get more aggressive on run downs as we move forward this season.
