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The 3-0 Miami Dolphins are in prime-time for the first time this season, holding first place in the AFC East after their huge, thrilling win over the Bills in Week 3. They’ve knocked out all the newcomers so far, beating from Bill Belichick’s Patriots, John Harbaugh’s Ravens and Buffalo, one of this year’s Super Bowl favorites.

Thursday night’s game against the Super Bowl runner-up Bengals is the next tough challenge. Cincinnati got back on track in Week 3 with a stronger defensive effort (four takeaways) beating the Jets, taking its record to 1-2 after suffering minor losses in the first two weeks of the season.

In this game, former SEC fighters Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa, who faced each other twice in college, can battle it out, with each QB winning on the other’s home court. This game takes place in Burrow’s backyard at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, where the Bengals have oddly won just three of their last eight regular season games. But Tagovailoa’s status remains up in the air after he sustained back and ankle injuries against Buffalo on Sunday.

If it weren’t for the dolphins, the Bengals might not have a Burrow. During the team’s 2019 meeting, the Bengals nearly made an epic comeback in Miami — down from 23 in the middle of the fourth quarter — that nearly cost them a chance to draft Burrow before the “Tank for Tua” Dolphins went into overtime. won. Nine years ago, these teams also met in a wild Thursday night game that ended with a walk-off safety in a Dolphins OT win.

This will also be a fun coaching matchup. Mike McDaniel of Miami and Zac Taylor of Cincinnati, two brilliant members of the NFL coaching pack, each turning 40 after the season. McDaniel aims to become the first Dolphins coach since Don Shula to start a season 4-0.

Here are four things to look out for when the dolphins visit the Bengals on Prime Video Thursday night:

  1. Will Tua be able to go? Tagovailoa, listed as doubtful, said the plan is to play on Thursday following back and ankle injuries sustained on Sunday. The final decision may come hours before kick-off, leaving backup Teddy Bridgewater standing by. At the moment, Tagovailoa’s back is the bigger concern than the ankle. Tagovailoa said it limited his ability to throw the ball effectively in the second half against the Bills, although he was 5 of 8 to pass 110 yards after returning from injury. The Bengals’ pass rush has been hot and cold so far, but Trey Hendrickson has been a madman against the Jets with 2.5 sacks, four QB hits and two forced fumbles en route to AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He will likely face his former Saints teammate, Dolphins tackling Terron Armstead. Armstead (toe), who is also listed as questionable, is tasked with protecting the front of Tagovailoa – or the back of Bridgewater.
  2. The Bengals attack hopes it’s back on track. After two games, Cincy turned the ball five times and struggled to generate a big pass down the field. The Steelers and Cowboys’ two deep defenses frustrated the Bengals, who scored just three TDs in seven red zone trips and had just four explosive pass plays. Sunday’s win over the Jets saw a Bengals strike more like the barnstorming unit that made it to Super Bowl LVI. The Bengals have five pass catchers with 10 or more receptions in three games, but it’s Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins that the Dolphins should be most concerned about. The Bengals’ 15 allowed sacks are an abomination, and while pass protection was slightly better against the Jets, Burrow was still fired twice and hit nine times. He could also be in this one without OT La’el Collins (back), who is questionable. The Dolphins’ pass rush was a bit blitz dependent to deliver pressure, but new addition Melvin Ingram has given the group a boost. That said, the Miami defense had to pull out 92 snaps on Sunday (50 in the second half) in scorching weather. That’s a quick turnaround for Thursday, especially with the team leaving town early due to Hurricane Ian.
  3. Miami’s passing game has taken a big step forward. McDaniel has helped revive the Dolphin’s airstrike, and while 34% of their points have come in a quarter this season against the Ravens, it’s clear the operation has become more dangerous. The Dolphins’ explosiveness, especially compared to last season, was evident early on. In all of 2021, Miami had eight pass plays over 40 yards. In three games this season, the Dolphins have already played five such games, tied for best in the league. Those all came through Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, who have been the target of 58% of Tagovailoa’s passes and have 71% of the team’s receiving yards. (Hill, in particular, may have been motivated by this after losing twice to the Bengals with the Chiefs last season after being stopped in front of the goal line by Bengal Eli Apple’s corner in a crucial game in the AFC title game. ) a knock on this Dolphins offensive, it’s that it’s been very pass dependent so far. Running backs Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds average 3.3 yards per carry combined, although the injury to Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader is a big development. Miami throws the ball in a ratio of almost 2:1. Will there be enough balance if Tagovailoa is injured again or delayed by injury?
  4. Is Bengal’s defense better than advertised? In Cincinnati’s 0-2 start, takeaways were hard to come by, only one was logged while the offense had five turnovers. But overall, the defense has done its job, with just three TDs, 14 conversions on 43 third downs (32.6%) and two drives over 59 yards in 36 defensive series. The game-making ability came to the fore last week in a four-sack, four-turnover performance on Sunday that kept the Jets out of the end zone. In fact, the Bengals have now taken 20 consecutive possessions without allowing a TD and have produced five turnovers in that span, going back to the Dallas game. Disguise is a big weapon for Bengal Defense Coordinator Lou Anarumo, so it’s critical for Tagovailoa or Bridgewater to diagnose the covers correctly. That’s a lot to plan for in such a shorter week.