On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins will search for their first win of the season as they take on the 2-2 Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium.
While the Miami Dolphins appear to be getting closer to their first win, as they have been competitive in each of their last two games, they must still perform better offensively. Miami ranks last in the NFL with 11.5 points per game, as they have not scored more than one touchdown in any game this season.
The 2026 Miami Dolphins have already matched last season’s team with four games of 13 points or less. Unfortunately, Miami may have another difficult time offensively this week as it appears that the team’s top rookie wide receiver is set to miss another week.
Miami Dolphins Announce Caleb Douglas Is Unlikely to Play in Week 5
Regarding the status of wide receiver Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said, “Caleb’s going to run today, so I would say he’s unlikely, but he’s progressing.”
Dolphins Wire’s Mike Masala wrote of the news: “Miami took Douglas in the third round of this year’s draft out of Texas Tech. He played in the first two games of the season, catching seven passes for 113 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.
Unfortunately, Douglas went down in the fourth quarter of their Week 2 loss and has missed the last two games. While the Dolphins shouldn’t be trying to force the rookie wideout on the field to try to win a game, it’s also important for a young player to get reps early in his first season.
If Douglas misses this week, he’ll have some extra time to rest with Miami off in Week 6.”
After two weeks, Douglas led the Dolphins with receiving yards. During training camp, he emerged as Miami’s most impressive wide receiver.
Currently, Miami’s offense finds itself needing a playmaker of Douglas’ caliber. After Douglas’ injury, third-year wide receiver Malik Washington now leads the team in receiving yards. Washington has totaled 219 receiving yards on 17 receptions. His 12.9 yards per reception are the highest of his career.
Bengals Injury Updates
While it appeared that the Dolphins may have caught a break after Bengals superstar wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins suffered injuries during Week 4, both receivers returned to practice on Friday. They are both listed as questionable ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
Despite Cincinnati’s injuries, Sports Illustrated’s Peter Dewey predicted the Bengals would extend Miami’s losing streak. Dewey wrote: “Simply put, the Dolphins are one of the worst teams in the league, scoring 13 or fewer points in all four of their games while ranking 29th in EPA/Play on offense and 28th in EPA/Play on defense. With De’Von Achane out for the season, there isn’t a single Miami weapon that really worries me against a Bengals team that has been average defensively (14th in EPA/Play, 19th in success rate) through four games.
There’s a chance Cincy is short-handed on Sunday, but it shouldn’t matter against an offense that can’t seem to score enough to really compete with any playoff-caliber team.”
Dolphins Announce Bleak Injury News on Top Rookie Before Bengals Game