The Bengals look to bounce back from a pair of one-score losses when they take on the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX (Cincinnati’s channel 19).  Here is what to watch for:

Opportunity for Depth Receivers

While Ja’Marr Chase remains in concussion protocol and Tee Higgins works through a groin injury, Cincinnati's offensive game plan on Sunday could feature receivers further down the depth chart. Dohnte Meyers and Mitch Tinsley both provide quarterback Joe Burrow with dependability and consistency, which they showcased in the Week 4 contest against Jacksonville as the Bengals attempted a late comeback.

"Those guys make plays," said Burrow after the game. "I said this is the deepest (wide receiver) room that we've had (in my time here). Thank God we got Mitch back this week. He really came in and played great and made some big time plays for us."

Meyers had season highs in catches (seven) and yards (82) against the Jaguars, continuing his ascension in the offense that began in training camp. Tinsley, who spent the first three weeks of the season on Houston's practice squad before returning to Cincinnati last week, contributed three catches for 49 yards, including a 29-yarder on the first play of the final drive.

Burrow also will have a versatile tight ends room at his disposal, led by Mike Gesicki, whose three touchdown catches this year already are his most since the 2022 season. Another reliable outlet in the pass game is halfback Chase Brown, who is coming off a career-high 11 catches for 71 yards in Week 4.

Regardless of the status of the two Pro Bowl receivers, Cincinnati's offense will still include multiple options for Burrow to push the ball down the field.

"I don't have any concerns with how we'll put the plan together this week," said head coach Zac Taylor. "We'll make it work and emphasize the guys that we think will be available."

Defense Looks for More Pass Rush Success

Cincinnati's revamped defensive line has led the charge in the Bengals having one of the best pass rushes in the NFL through the first quarter of the regular season. As a team, the Bengals have totaled 14 sacks, tied for the third-most in the league. They have netted four sacks in three of the first four contests, including last week against Jacksonville.

One of the most positive developments for Cincinnati so far has been its versatility on the pass rush, an area which was heavily emphasized by coaches and player personnel staff during the offseason. Eight different players have gotten in the sack column, led by defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II, whose three sacks have come over the past two games. Defensive end Boye Mafe has two sacks while pacing the team with 18 quarterback pressures. Tackles Jonathan Allen and Kris Jenkins Jr., along with edge rusher Cedric Johnson, also have two sacks apiece.

The sack spree dates back to last season, when Cincinnati's defense showed improvement in nearly every metric during the second half of the schedule. Since Week 13 (Thanksgiving), the Bengals have 34 sacks, the second-most in the NFL in that span (Minnesota, 38), and the most over a 10-game stretch by Cincinnati since 2013. Myles Murphy has 4.5 sacks over that time frame, and is coming off his first full sack of the 2026 campaign against Jacksonville.

The Dolphins have given up 11 sacks this season, tied for the ninth-most in the NFL. Another strong showing from the Bengals defensive line could play a pivotal role in creating more possessions for Burrow and the offense.

Running Game Seeks Bounce Back

The Bengals were held to a season-low 23 rushing yards last week against Jacksonville, a figure that Taylor voiced was not up to the team's standard.

"It just wasn't good enough in any area," Taylor said on Monday. "A lot of different things play into it, but it was not a good enough performance. We've got to be better. It's on us as coaches, and the players as well. After watching the tape, it was disappointing, some of the plays we left out there. It's a performance, I think, that you have in Week 4 and it really draws your attention to it, and we'll be better moving forward."

Cincinnati's two wins to start the season featured more rushing attempts that yielded 106 yards against Tampa and 85 at Houston. While Taylor indicated it would not require a "dramatic shift" this week, he acknowledged that a more productive ground game will be crucial to the offense having a more balanced attack this week.

Miami's run defense sits in the middle of the pack through four weeks, tying for 15th in the NFL at 109.0 rushing yards allowed per game. While the Dolphins' defense may be different schematically this season under new head coach Jeff Hafley, Chase Brown will shoot for a performance similar to his last trip to Hard Rock Stadium in Week 16 of last year. Brown helped steer the Bengals to victory with 5.5 yards per carry (12 for 66 yards) and a touchdown, while also catching four passes out of the backfield for 43 yards and two scores.

Extra Points

• Tight end Drew Sample will play in his 100th career regular-season game on Sunday.
• Kicker Evan McPherson has made his last 21 field goal attempts, tied with Shayne Graham (2007) for the longest streak in Bengals history.
• According to the NFL's Next Gen Stats service, right tackle Amarius Mims allowed zero pressures on 58 pass blocking snaps last week against Jacksonville, which were the most pass blocking snaps without giving up a pressure by any NFL offensive tackle over the past seven seasons.
• Cornerback Dax Hill is tied for seventh in the NFL with five passes defensed this season.
• Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. is tied for 11th in the NFL with 34 total tackles this season.

Check out the Bengals 2026 Schedule.