The Cincinnati Bengals travel to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, to face the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET. Cincinnati enters at 2-2 while Miami remains winless at 0-4.
Both teams are coming off losses. The Bengals fell to Jacksonville 22-17 last Sunday, dropping their second straight game after opening the season 2-0. The Dolphins lost at Minnesota 15-10, extending a skid in which they have scored 13 points or fewer in every game this year.
Cincinnati opened as a 7-point favorite, with the game total set at 42.5 points.
Cincinnati’s Offense Leans on Burrow
The Bengals’ passing attack ranks fifth in the NFL at 277.5 yards per game, led by quarterback Joe Burrow. He has thrown for 1,171 yards and seven touchdowns through four games, including a three-touchdown performance at Pittsburgh on Sept. 27. Against Jacksonville on Oct. 4, he completed 39 of 54 passes.
Miami’s defense has given up 101 points through four games, an average of 25.25 per contest, putting pressure on Burrow to convert volume into points.
Running back Chase Brown leads Cincinnati with 207 rushing yards and a touchdown on 58 carries, though the Bengals’ ground game ranks 30th in the league at 74.3 yards per game. Brown’s best outing came at Houston on Sept. 20, when he ran for 80 yards on 20 carries, but he was held to 10 yards on nine carries against Jacksonville.
Miami’s turnover margin sits at minus 2, tied for 21st in the NFL.
Dolphins Lean on Gordon, Struggle Through the Air
Miami’s running game ranks 19th in the league at 104.0 yards per game, powered recently by Ollie Gordon II. He rushed nine times for 100 yards and a touchdown at Minnesota on Oct. 4, including a 53-yard run, and has totaled 148 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries this season.
Cincinnati’s defense has allowed 85 points through four games, an average of 21.25 per game.
Miami’s passing game ranks 30th in the NFL at 163.5 yards per game. Quarterback Malik Willis has thrown for 712 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, completing nine of 17 passes for 85 yards against Minnesota after a 210-yard outing versus Kansas City on Sept. 27.
Cincinnati’s turnover margin is even at zero, tied for 17th in the league.
