NFL News and Updates 2016: Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals Battle vs. 1-3 Start in Ohio; Match Prediction, TV Schedule and Streaming Details
The first game of Week 4 in the 2016 NFL season is a battle of midcarders. At least, in the early stages, one of the teams is still close to the top tier of competition.
The Miami Dolphins go on the road Thursday against the Cincinnati Bengals, as both teams fight on to prevent a 1-3 start in the grueling season. Who will get the momentum shift?
Miami Dolphins
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The Dolphins are near the bottom of the ESPN Week 4 Power Rankings, languishing at No. 25, and might stay there if they could not deliver the upset at Ohio. They would need to muster a lot of good plays down the stretch if they are to do that, though.
Ryan Tannehill had not been a consistent performer in the quarterback spot, at least in the first half. He only has a 58.5 QB rating in the early stages, but it goes up to 114 in the second half. With that said, the Bengals have a deep secondary, and if the Dolphins can combine Tannehill's clutch tendencies with deep threats Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker, they could pull a late victory.
However, the Dolphins would have to do a better job protecting the ball. They have the third lowest time of possession per game in the league.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are the team to beat in this game, but not in NFL as a whole. They had only converted three of their 10 red zone drives into touchdowns, but are looking to make that go away vs. a weaker team this week.
Andy Dalton would be huge threat should he stay healthy in both halves, having one of the best NFL defensive tackles in Geno Atkins to back him up on the other end. They will also have the services of top-tier wide receiver A.J. Green, who would thrive if the Dolphins focus their defense on stopping the run.
Having a linebacker Vontaze Burfict back might be an up or a down, considering he had not played the first three weeks while serving a suspension. They do have to improve on defense, as they let Denver Broncos QB Trevor Siemian pass for four touchdowns on 312 yards.
The game kicks off Thursday, Sept. 29, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT at the Paul Brown Stadium. Fans can watch the game on NFL Network and a live stream can be accessed through the NFL mobile app.
