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The biggest storyline of all hanging over Sunday’s encounter between the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins is obvious — draft implications.
That’s an impossible-to-ignore facet of the equation here, yet far from the only one.
Here’s a look at the top storylines before these two hit the field in Miami on Sunday.
Struggling QB staring contest: The cliche “something has to give” applies here. Both the Bengals and Dolphins have suffered from horrendous quarterback play all year. Andy Dalton was so underwhelming in a new system the new coach benched him for three games. As a whole, he’s completed less than 60 percent of his passes this year with more picks than touchdowns. He’s air-mailed pick-sixes in back-to-back games, both losses. Ryan Fitzpatrick for the Dolphins hasn’t been much better. When he hasn’t lost snaps to Josh Rosen, the veteran has completed just 61.6 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions playing behind a line that has allowed 50-plus sacks. Which quarterback blinks first — meaning makes the critical mistake — could end up deciding which struggling team gets another notch in the loss column.
Which defense plays respectable ball? The Bengals have been bad on defense for most of the year, though admittedly, besides the blowout at the hands of the Patriots, things have been better thanks to a rejuvenated pass rush. Since the cutting of Preston Brown, the linebackers have played better too. But even this hasn’t been enough to compensate for a nonexistent offense. Rest assured the Dolphins haven’t been much better in any regard, ranking among the worst teams in the league against the rush and coughing up 31.1 points per game, the worst mark in the league. Four of Miami’s last five opponents have managed at least 31 points.
All things draft: The Bengals clinch the top overall pick in 2020 with a win. The end. There isn’t a two-win team in the NFL that can hurt the 1-13 Bengals. They complicate matters greatly with a win though, as that helps these Dolphins stick as one or four three-win teams. Granted, the Dolphins aren’t exactly hurting for draft capital after selling away so many assets as of late. But that’s another thing to consider — if the Bengals play their way out of the top pick over the next two weeks, they might not be able to trade up to No. 1 if necessary and it could also leave them open to getting leapfrogged by another trading team. Nobody wants to lose, but it’s hard to ignore this hanging over the contest from a Cincinnati perspective.
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