If the Dolphins allow themselves to keep skidding after getting knocked off course by New England last week, they’ll be .500 before they know it. And that 3-0 start filled with big plays and high fives will be little more than a fleeting memory. It’s still early in the season, but Sunday’s game at Cincinnati has the feel of a crossroads for Miami. These teams are both in the middle of the league, likely to be battling all year in the quest to reach 10 wins and a playoff berth. They might even be in direction competition with each other for a wild card spot down the stretch, and whoever wins this one would have the tie-breaker if needed. This is the type of challenge a real playoff contender can handle, not only matching up with the Bengals but showing resilience in the aftermath of a complete embarrassment. "You’re just as good as your last game," wide receiver Albert Wilson said. "That’s what it’s all about. We took a big L. We all have to play better." They need to turn things around as quickly as Wilson turns upfield. The first two months were thought to be the lighter half of the Dolphins’ schedule, suggesting they need to clean up early while they can, but that’s not such a certainty anymore. A loss to the Bengals would drop Miami to 3-2, falling into a tie with the Patriots in the AFC East, heading into next week’s home game against the Bears. Chicago was 5-11 last year, but quarterback Mitchell Trubisky looks improved and Khalil Mack has single-handedly made their defense fearsome. The Bears will roll in at 3-1 fresh off a bye. The Dolphins have a home game after that, followed by short turnaround for a Thursday night game at Houston. Miami hasn’t won a Thursday game since 2014 and is 1-7 all-time against the Texans. The Dolphins believe they’re good enough to navigate that stretch, as well as what promises to be a trying second half of the season, but they have to avoid the mistakes that doomed them against New England. "I was just disappointed that we didn’t execute the way we talked about executing," defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. "In general, if we give our best shot and play our game and lose to a team that beats us because they’re better... that’s one thing. "But when we make a lot of mistakes and do a lot of things that are just uncharacteristic of how we’ve been playing, it’s frustrating." The Patriots have been in a class of their own the last two decades, and the Dolphins can’t jump to that level overnight. But Cincinnati is a different story. That’s a team in their weight class. The Dolphins have been playing better defense than the Bengals, but Andy Dalton and Cincinnati’s offense have outpaced Ryan Tannehill and Miami. Both sides struggle to run the ball. Both are near the bottom of the league in total defense, though the Dolphins have allowed fewer points at 22.5 versus Cincinnati’s 28.3. It’ll come down to whether Miami continues to get in its own way like it did last week, but that’s no certainty in a scenario like this one. In Adam Gase’s two-plus seasons, the Dolphins haven’t been good on the road or coming off a beatdown like the one the Patriots gave them. This game falls in the intersection of the two categories, and it’s one of the narratives about the team Miami wants to rewrite. The Dolphins are 7-12 on the road under Gase, and some of that is attributable to the quality of opponent (the Patriots are 37-6 at Gillette Stadium the last six seasons), but there have also been some miserable road performances. One of them was here at Paul Brown Stadium in 2016. After a decisive loss to the Patriots in Week 3, the Dolphins squeaked by the Browns at home and lost the next two to the Bengals and Titans. They got blown out by the Ravens later that year, but rallied for three straight victories. Last season, after another total meltdown in Baltimore, the Dolphins never recovered. They scrapped together a 4-2 start despite some turbulence early in the year, but their 40-0 drubbing against the Ravens was the beginning of a five-game losing streak and the end of their season. They lost by 40 in Baltimore, 24 at Carolina and 18 at New England in the collapse. Gase keeps saying this group is different than his previous teams. He credits this roster for being resolute when it comes to battling the inevitable setbacks that hit during an NFL season. The Dolphins have already had their share of them and they’ll play without two starting offensive linemen, a starting cornerback and franchise legend Cameron Wake. This is the first true test of what Gase thinks he sees in this team. "I think these guys do work well together," he said. "Last week was a good indication to really see where we were going to head after that, where you’re getting drummed by New England. You’ve seen a lot of guys in the past maybe try to get themselves out of that game, (but) our guys were trying to build for the next week. "I liked the fact that our guys just kept playing and working and weren’t sitting there feeling sorry for themselves."<doc-sep>"That would help us because I just feel like if we stay on the field, they're going to get less snaps and it's going to balance out a little better. And we've got too many playmakers and guys that can do a lot of good things with the ball to not be on the field longer than what we've been."<doc-sep>
The Dolphins will be without Cameron Wake as the defensive end stayed home and did not travel with the team. The Pro Bowl lineman had not practiced at all during the week and it was presumed he would miss the game after he couldn’t get out and practice. It’s still not clear if DeVante Parker will play either as the wide receiver has been fighting injuries during the early part of the season. The Bengals are also a little banged up, but the Dolphins are going to have a tough test ahead of them today. You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below. Miami Dolphins vs. Cincinnati Bengals preview: High stakes for both If the Dolphins allow themselves to keep skidding after getting knocked off course by New England la... Dolphins at Bengals Miami Dolphins: 3 position groups of concern vs. Cincinnati Bengals A week ago, the Dolphins were cruising along and eying a three-game lead over New England in the AFC... Dolphins Quarterbacks Miami Dolphins have big plans for QB Luke Falk despite injury The Dolphins placed fourth-string quarterback Luke Falk on Injured Reserve today to open a roster sp... Dolphins Wide Receivers Dolphins WR DeVante Parker's injury could keep him out vs. Bengals It was a familiar scene for DeVante Parker as the rest of the Dolphins broke off from team stretchin... How did Dolphins WR Albert Wilson end up at Georgia State? Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson has a way of making things work, no matter how bleak the outloo... DeVante Parker’s odd and frustrating Dolphins tenure continues - Miami Dolphins Blog- ESPN Parker didn't report his quad injury to the team last week, putting them in a bind in a game plan in which he was a major component in New England. Dolphins Defensive Line As hype builds for young Dolphins DT's, Vincent Taylor warns Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Vincent Taylor recently tweeted: “Don’t Believ... Miami Dolphins rule out DE Cameron Wake (knee) for Bengals game The Dolphins will go without five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Cameron Wake for Sunday’s game a... Phinsider News You May Have Missed The Splash Zone 10/6/18: Previewing Sunday’s Game Against The Bengals - The Phinsider Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours. The Dolphins must look out for Carl Lawson - The Phinsider Geno Atkins isn’t the only freak the Dolphins have to be concerned with on Sunday. Florida State Seminoles @ University of Miami Hurricanes Live Thread & Game Information - The Phinsider In years past (okay, its been a few years for FSU and quite a few for UM) one of these two teams, the Miami Hurricanes or the Florida State Seminoles entered their annual rivalry game with...