sportingnews
The 2026 Cincinnati Bengals have had a rocky start to their season, entering Week 5 with a 2-2 record. While there are positive signs, their upcoming matchup against the winless Miami Dolphins appears on paper to be a straightforward victory. The Dolphins, at 0-4, have struggled and seem to be a step behind most NFL teams.
However, the Bengals face a significant concern in this Week 5 clash. As ESPN's Ben Baby highlighted, Cincinnati's defense could struggle against Miami's offense due to one key issue: tackling on passing plays and the Dolphins' wide receivers' ability to break tackles.
Key Analysis
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Bengals lead the league with 24 missed tackles on called pass plays, while Miami ranks fourth in missed tackles forced by wide receivers on such plays. This statistic underscores a potential vulnerability for Cincinnati's defense. Although the Dolphins' receiving corps—featuring Chris Bell, Caleb Douglas, Malik Washington, and others—is considered one of the weakest in the league, their knack for gaining extra yards after the catch could exploit the Bengals' tackling problems.
For Cincinnati to avoid an upset, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II must disrupt the Dolphins' backfield and pressure quarterback Malik Willis. If Willis has time to throw and Miami's receivers continue to evade tackles, the Bengals could find themselves in a precarious situation. Tackling must be a top priority in practice this week; even modest improvement could allow Cincinnati to shut down Miami's offense with ease.
While the Bengals should still win on paper, the warning signs are evident. If the tackling issues persist, what seems like an easy matchup could turn ugly for Cincinnati.
In other NFL news: an NFL referee was caught on camera yelling at Cardinals' Trey McBride, Justin Herbert headlines four reasons the Chargers are 0-4, the Chiefs might reunite with Tyreek Hill after injuries to Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton, the Texans' disastrous start has reached a critical point following a collapse against the Cowboys, and Dan Campbell and Lions players defend defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard after another poor defensive performance.
Originally reported by sportingnews.