by Chris Asbrock
Miami Dolphins (3-11) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (1-13)
Hard Rock Stadium
Sunday, 12/22/2019
1:00 P.M. EST
CBS
Line: CIN -2.0
It is safe to say that the 2019 season has been pure hell for the Cincinnati Bengals but all may not be lost. With a loss in one of the final two games of the season, the Bengals will lock up the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. All signs point to the Bengals taking a quarterback with that first pick and that pick should be Ohio native, Joe Burrow from Louisiana State University. With the season rapidly and thankfully coming to an end in a few weeks, there are players that are playing for a spot on this team and for other teams.
Let’s take a look at the breakdown between these two teams heading into this matchup.
Offense
The offense this season has seen a mixed bag of results this season. The offense was flying high to begin the season before falling flat on their face. Granted injuries have played their part in the poor play but the talent is there for this team to make some noise. It is no secret that Joe Mixon is one of the best running backs in the NFL and his play has taken a serious positive turn during the second half of the season. The benching of Andy Dalton earlier by coach Zac Taylor showed them the need is there for a quarterback after Dalton’s contract is up. On the ground, Mixon needs just 75 yards to get to 1000 yards on the season, which is an impressive feat, considering how his season started. The quarterback matchup is interesting between Dalton and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Both quarterbacks have combined for 26 TD and 25 interceptions, so the potential is there for this to be a complete gong show. However, these teams are evenly matched offensively but with Mixon running the football, the Bengals have the slight advantage.
Advantage: Bengals
Defense
Defensively, both teams have shown they can’t really stop anyone. That could be the case today with both teams giving up over 400 yards per game and over 25 points a game. The Bengals get torched for an average of 244.5 yards per game through the air while the Dolphins give up an average of 266.9 yards per game passing. While the Dolphins get lit up via the air, the Bengals are the givers via the ground. Teams have found it easy sailing against the Bengals as they give up an average of 158 yards on the ground. The Dolphins aren’t much better though, giving up 140.9 yards per game via the ground. This game could be interesting in terms of how the defenses approach the game. The potential is there for both teams to have an embarrassing performance. The Bengals have a few more playmakers on the defensive line so they should have the better showing.
Advantage: Bengals
Special Teams
Not much to say here even though Kevin Huber is still one of the best punters in the league.
Advantage: Push
Coaching
This matchup is between two coaches who are inexperienced in the head coaching role. However, Brian Flores has his Dolphins playing with passion week in and week out. While on the flip side, the Bengals have played a handful of games where it appeared they had no idea what the hell was going on. Both teams have shown glimpses of brilliance, while also showing the complete opposite. The records speak for themselves and Flores has his Dolphins playing better football.
Advantage: Dolphins
This game doesn’t mean much for either team as both are pretty bad. Comparing these teams at this point is like comparing a crap sandwich and a crap sandwich with cheese. Regardless of what happens in this game, nobody wins. With a Bengals win, the Dolphins are still in contention for the first overall pick, which would most likely be Burrow but if the Bengals lose, they lock up that first pick. On paper, this is a game the Bengals should win but as we have seen this season, the Bengals should have won a lot more than just one game. This game should be a shootout since both teams are evenly matched and can’t seem to stop anyone. With that being the case, this is a game to sit back and enjoy the gong show unfold in front of you.
Prediction: Bengals 31-30
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