The Bengals walked out of Miami with a 31-24 win on Sunday, and the final score made it look tighter than it really was. Cincinnati improved to 3-2 heading into its early bye, and the offensive and defensive pieces that front office spent so much time upgrading all showed up at Hard Rock Stadium.
Joe Burrow was sharp against a solid Dolphins defense, throwing for 190 yards and four touchdowns. Cincinnati also looked much more balanced than it has at times this season, with Zac Taylor dialing up 27 rushing plays and 32 passing plays. On the other side of the ball, the defense kept making momentum plays, forcing three turnovers in all.
Jordan Battle picked Malik Willis off twice, and Jonathan Allen sealed things by forcing and recovering a fourth-quarter fumble. That kind of closing strength is exactly what the Bengals were hoping to get after pouring resources into the defense in free agency and the draft. Dexter Lawrence will grab plenty of the attention, but Allen has been every bit as important.
Allen signed with Cincinnati in free agency on a two-year, $25 million deal after one season in Minnesota and eight in Washington. He’s been a reliable producer throughout his NFL career, with 48.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. He also arrived with two Pro Bowl nods already on his résumé, and so far he has played like a veteran who has been underappreciated.
Through five games, Allen has already posted three sacks and a forced fumble. He’s been living in the backfield, creating pressure on a steady basis, and when he lines up inside next to Lawrence, the Bengals suddenly have one of the league’s most threatening defensive fronts.
His impact isn’t just showing up on Sundays either. The Bengals’ social media account has leaned into his pregame speeches, including this one before the Dolphins game:
“It’s gotta be us.” #CINatMIA at 1:00 PM on Fox pic.twitter.com/XXeNp4r3GX
- Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) October 11, 2026
That edge has mattered. Cincinnati has needed that kind of spark from its defense, and Allen has helped provide it.
At the time of the signing, he looked like a useful add. After five games, he looks much more than that. He’s already made a strong case as one of the Bengals’ best offseason pickups, and by the end of the year, he could be the one everyone points to as the smartest move they made.
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Bengals Linebacker Move Puts Al Golden's Influence In Focus
The Bengals made a notable linebacker move this week, adding Jack Kiser after his brief run with Jacksonville and turning to a player who already has familiarity with defensive coordinator Al Golden from their Notre Dame days. Kiser arrives with some college credibility and a built-in connection to Cincinnatis staff, the kind of detail that can matter when a team is sorting through midseason depth and trying to find players who can absorb the system quickly.
His arrival also comes at a time when the Bengals needed reinforcement at the position, with Swayze Bozeman sidelined after the forearm injury he suffered in Week 5. Cincinnati is clearly looking for a workable answer at linebacker, and Kisers background gives this claim a little more intrigue than a typical waiver move, even if the real test now is how fast he can translate that familiarity into a role on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]
Zac Taylors Dexter Lawrence Remark Says Everything About His Bengals Impact
Zac Taylors praise for Dexter Lawrence II after the Week 5 win over Miami fit the way the Bengals have talked about the defensive tackle since bringing him into the building. Lawrence has given Cincinnati the kind of interior presence that changes how an offense has to play, and his early production has backed up the hype with 14 tackles and three sacks so far this season.
The move to acquire him from the Giants was already viewed around the league as a sharp offseason pickup, and the Bengals made it clear they wanted more than a short-term boost by working out a one-year extension. For a defense that needed more disruptive power up front, Lawrence has quickly become one of the most important additions on the roster, even if there is still a bigger long-term cost attached to the trade that Cincinnati will have to live with. [Read more 🡒]
Amarius Mims Has One Strange Problem Bengals Can't Ignore
Amarius Mims has given the Bengals exactly what they want on the field this fall, holding up well against some of the leagues top defenders at right tackle and helping Cincinnati get to a 3-2 start. Off the field, though, the rookie has run into a problem that has become hard to ignore: his cleats keep failing him in the middle of games, turning a promising early season into something of an equipment headache.
The issue has already surfaced more than once, and Mims has gone public in asking shoe manufacturers for a better answer. It is the kind of oddly specific snag that can still matter for a team trying to build momentum, especially with roster churn around him after the Bengals added Jack Kiser and put Swayze Bozeman on injured reserve. For now, the blocking is strong, but the footwear situation remains a loose end Cincinnati would rather not keep revisiting. [Read more 🡒]