On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to end their two-game losing streak as they take on the winless Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
After a 2-0 start to the season, Cincinnati has dropped back-to-back close contests, and while the Miami Dolphins present a lesser challenge to what the team has already faced this offseason, the Bengals may be short-handed for their Week 5 contest.
During Cincinnati’s Week 4 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both departed with injuries. While neither wide receiver has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against Miami, the early news has not been positive.
Cincinnati Bengals Announce Injury News on Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins
The Cincinnati Bengals announced that neither Ja’Marr Chase nor Tee Higgins participated in Wednesday’s practice session. Chase was out with a concussion while Higgins was out with a groin/neck issue.
Regarding the team’s injury report, Bengals Wire’s Chris Roling wrote: “We’ll see how the Bengals injury report shifts over the final two days of the week and it’s the final report that matters most, but this is a rough start for a concerning topic before the game in Miami ahead of a Week 6 bye.”
Chase left the team’s game against Jacksonville after suffering the concussion during a play where he had his facemask pulled, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty. Meanwhile, Higgins attempted to go back into the game after his groin injury, but left the game after one play.
Zac Taylor Comments on Team’s Injuries
Regarding Chase and Higgins’ injuries, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said of the possibility of playing against Miami without the pair of receivers, “We just have to make it work. No one wants to hear any reason why that wouldn’t work.”
Former Canadian Football League All-Star Dohnte Meyers was among the players who stepped up on Sunday after Chase and Higgins left the game. Taylor said of Meyers, “In terms of the make-miss burst to go get big plays, he’s as close to Ja’Marr as we’ve probably had. Ja’Marr’s obviously top of the chain there in terms of any ball he catches, he can go to the house. And Dohnte, I think, is probably next in line with that ability.”
Bengals senior writer Geoff Hobson wrote: “No matter the status of Chase and Higgins, first-year wide receiver Dohnte Meyers is still going to get plenty of reps as he puts a stranglehold on the No. 3 spot after last Sunday’s career day of seven catches for 82 yards…
The Zac Era has never seen a shortage of receivers who can contribute from any spot on the depth chart or the practice squad. It began with the development of Auden Tate and Stanley Morgan Jr., in 2019, to Meyers, a CFL import, and Mitch Tinsley, who came off the bench last year for big catches and came from the Houston practice squad last Sunday for a career-high three catches and 49 yards.”
If Chase and Higgins are unavailable against the Dolphins, Meyers should be in line for another big game in Week 5.
Bengals Announce Bad News on Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins Before Dolphins Game