The Dolphins are 17-9 all-time against the Bengals in the regular season, and they’ll try to end a two-game slide in the series when Cincinnati comes to Hard Rock Stadium in Week 5. That history includes a playoff meeting, too, one that came at the end of the 1973 season and helped push Miami toward a second straight Super Bowl championship.
One of the wildest swings in the matchup came early in what became a playoff run. Miami was 3-1 and stumbling against an 0-3 Bengals team, trailing 13-3 in the final seconds before Cincinnati decided to have Akili Smith drop back to pass from its 37-yard line with 8 seconds left.
Jason Taylor blew past the left tackle, hit Smith from behind and turned it into a sack-strip-score that cut the margin to 13-10 at halftime. From there, the Dolphins took control and won the second half 21-3.
Another meeting at the Orange Bowl turned on an even stranger twist: an onside punt. After Miami had given up a safety and was forced to kick from its 20-yard line while trailing 16-7 with 6:12 left in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins surprised Cincinnati, recovered the fumble and marched for a touchdown. A punt block then set up the game-winning field goal.
Not every memorable Dolphins-Bengals game needed a wild finish. One of them was notable mostly for who was on the sideline.
Miami controlled the game behind three interceptions from the defense and two touchdown passes from Dan Marino, but the real storyline was the head coach matchup between Don and David Shula. It was the first time a father had coached against his son in the history of the major North American sports league.
The teams met again the next season, and the Dolphins won that one as well, 26-23.
The first playoff game for the defending champions also became part of the series’ best moments. Miami rushed for 241 yards, with Mercury Morris accounting for 105 of them, and Bob Griese threw two touchdown passes. Cincinnati answered with the last 13 points of the first half to pull within 21-16, but the Dolphins pulled away after halftime.
And then there was the Wake-Off game. Even before Cameron Wake ended it by sacking Andy Dalton in the end zone on Halloween night, the game had already delivered plenty, including Brent Grimes’ 94-yard pick-six and a 35-yard touchdown run from Cincinnati’s Gio Bernard. Wake’s finish gave the Dolphins one of the most memorable defensive plays in team history.
In Other News...
Dolphins May Be Ignoring A Week 5 Mismatch They Need
Miamis offense spent too much of Week 4 watching from the sideline, and the lack of possession time left Malik Willis and Greg Dulcich with far fewer chances to make an impact. Dulcich had flashed the week before, and his role has become worth watching as the Dolphins try to squeeze more production out of a passing game that has not always had enough snaps to find a rhythm.
The next matchup offers a route to solve at least part of that problem, since Cincinnati has been especially vulnerable to tight ends in the passing game. If Miami leans into Dulcich more often, the usage could tilt in a way that better fits the opponent and give the Dolphins a cleaner path to opening up the field for Willis and the rest of the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Get A Crucial Chance To Stop Their Slide In Week 5
The Dolphins return home in Week 5 looking for anything that can stop a four-game skid, and the timing at least gives them a game with some pressure on both sidelines. Cincinnati comes in off back-to-back losses of its own, so this is not exactly a heavyweight meeting between two teams feeling good about themselves. Miami will need to make the most of the chance, especially with the Bengals still working through their own issues on offense.
There is also some uncertainty around Cincinnatis top pass catchers, which could reshape how the matchup unfolds if the Bengals are missing key help at wide receiver. Even so, the betting market is still leaning toward the visitors, with FanDuel Sportsbook installing Cincinnati as a 6.5-point favorite. For a Dolphins team trying to regain some traction, this looks less like a comfort spot and more like a test of whether home field can finally matter again. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Are Reaching A Point That Could Define Their Season
Early in the season, the AFC has already become a study in separation, with several teams stuck near the bottom and four still searching for their first win. For Miami, that backdrop matters because this is less about chasing the standings in September and more about understanding what kind of team Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan are trying to build in their first year of steering the roster. The Dolphins are in evaluation mode, and every week is adding another layer to the question of what pieces fit long term.
A team in that spot rarely gets to stay neutral for long, especially once the NFL trade deadline starts looming and front offices have to decide whether to hold steady or reshape the roster. Miamis situation is made more interesting by what is happening elsewhere in the conference, where even teams with ugly records can still show signs of traction. Tennessee, for example, has found some early chemistry between Cam Ward and rookie receiver Carnell Tate, a reminder that progress does not always arrive in neat order and that Miamis next move may matter as much as its next result. [Read more 🡒]