Zac Taylor said the Bengals are heading into their bye week with no fresh major injuries after a physical trip to Florida, even as a few names on the report still need attention.
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins came through the game without setbacks, and Cincinnati got out of the weekend with its 31-24 win over Miami intact and no major new damage. Taylor’s update on the postgame injury picture centered on three players in particular.
“Swayze (Bozeman) broke his forearm, so he'll go to IR," Taylor said about the latest updates. "Tanner Hudson has a pec issue that we're gathering more information on.
Kyle Dugger (quad) still week to week. Those are really the main three right now in terms of guys that would be affected coming out of the bye."
The Bengals now enter the break at 3-2, their first 3-2 start since the Super Bowl season during Chase’s rookie year in 2021. They also sit with two AFC wins and, as Taylor pointed out, need to keep stacking those conference victories wherever they can.
The division picture hasn’t moved against Cincinnati this week, and the next major checkpoint comes on Oct. 25 against Baltimore in the team’s second division game of the season. That one could have plenty to say about how the AFC North shapes up.
Taylor didn’t sugarcoat what he saw against Miami, even while acknowledging the value of escaping with the win.
"Glad we won. Hard to win in this league.
We've certainly been in those games before where we let them slip away and didn't get the win," Taylor said on Sunday. "Credit to Miami.
They fought us tooth to nail till the very end. I thought Jeff Hafley is doing a great job with these guys, man.
He's got them believing. They fought us like they fought a lot of other teams.
They gave themselves a chance. There are a lot of frustrating things on our end.
We had two personal fouls. We fumbled twice in the red zone.
We caught a kickoff on the four-yard line. We had a penalty on a field goal that led to a touchdown, gave them four points, and gave up over 200 yards rushing.
Plenty to clean up.
"The bye hits us at a great time. I know these guys are worn out.
We've had some down-to-the-wire games the last three weeks. I know how hot this one was today.
The bye week comes at a great time for us to be 3-2. These guys will regroup.
We know who we are. Today, there are a lot of things we have to clean up to be better when we go to Baltimore in two weeks."
For now, the Bengals can exhale, heal up, and turn the page toward Baltimore.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Made Clear Why This Bengals Win Still Feels Off
Joe Burrow didnt let the Bengals 31-24 win over the Dolphins pass as anything close to a finished product. Even with the result in hand, he framed it as a game that left too much on the table, with Cincinnati aware that a victory can still come with plenty of correction baked in. The timing matters, too, with the bye week offering a brief pause before the AFC North grind tightens up again.
Burrow also highlighted what Cincinnati got from its playmakers, especially JaMarr Chase, who kept pushing through injuries and still came up with a long touchdown grab. Still, the bigger picture around the Bengals is less about one encouraging afternoon than about how cleanly they can play once the next stretch starts, with Baltimore waiting after the break and very little margin for the kind of mistakes that lingered here. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get Their Reset But One Problem Still Looms Before Baltimore
Cincinnati heads into its bye week with a 3-2 record after hanging on for a 31-24 win over Miami in conditions that tested just about everything a team can bring to South Florida. Joe Burrow delivered four touchdown passes and the offense found enough rhythm to outlast the Dolphins, even if Zac Taylor had plenty to point to afterward as areas that still need cleaning up before the second half of the season really takes shape.
The trip came with the kind of grind that can linger well beyond one Sunday, and Taylor made clear the Bengals felt it after the game. Penalties and other mistakes still popped up in a win that otherwise gave Cincinnati a much-needed reset, but the larger concern now is how refreshed and sharp they can look coming out of the break with Baltimore waiting next on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Standouts In Win Could Complicate Their Lineup Decisions
Pro Football Focus latest grades from Cincinnatis 31-24 win over the Dolphins offered a reminder that the box score can only tell part of the story. Even in a victory, the Bengals came away with one of their lower team marks of the season, but there were still plenty of bright spots tucked inside the grading sheet, including strong showings from players who made the most of limited opportunities.
Tanner Hudson stood out on the offensive side, while the defense was paced by a top effort from Boye Mafe. The bigger takeaway for the Bengals may be what those performances mean when the staff starts sorting through snap counts and roles, especially with Chase Brown and Samaje Perine working so closely side by side. When multiple reserves and rotational pieces grade well in the same game, the next lineup call gets a little harder. [Read more 🡒]