The Bengals and Dolphins are back in the spotlight in a way neither team probably wanted. Cincinnati arrives at Hard Rock Stadium at 2-2 after dropping its last two games, while Miami is still searching for its first win at 0-4. That setup makes this one a lower-priority draw nationally, and the TV coverage reflects it.
The game will air on FOX, even though CBS usually carries AFC matchups. Eric Collins, Mark Schlereth, and Jen Hale will be on the call.
Collins is filling in for Chris Myers this week, with Myers moving to the New York Giants at Washington Commanders game because Joe Davis is handling the Major League Baseball playoffs. Collins, who is normally the play-by-play voice for the Charlotte Hornets, made his NFL broadcasting debut last year on Dolphins at Carolina Panthers.
Schlereth and Hale were also part of the crew, along with Myers, that called Miami’s Week 1 game at the Las Vegas Raiders.
Coverage is limited in Florida. The Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers game owns most of FOX’s early window and reaches much of the state, leaving Bengals-Dolphins as essentially a local broadcast in South Florida. In Florida, it will only be seen in the Miami and West Palm Beach markets.
Cincinnati gets broader reach. The game will be shown throughout the Bengals’ home region, including most of Kentucky, most of Ohio outside Cleveland and Toledo, the western half of West Virginia, and the Pittsburgh area in Pennsylvania.
Florida viewers will also have a full slate of other games across the day. The 9:30 a.m. Eastern window features the Philadelphia Eagles at Jacksonville Jaguars on NFL Network, with FOX also carrying it in Jacksonville.
At 1 p.m. Eastern, CBS will not put a game in the Miami market so it won’t overlap with the Dolphins on FOX.
Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, and Tampa will get Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots, while the rest of the state will see Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers. On FOX, everyone between Fort Myers and Tallahassee gets Bears at Packers, and west of Tallahassee the Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints will be shown.
FOX also has the doubleheader in the late window, and San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks will be the featured game across Florida. CBS’s late offering is Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers.
In Other News...
Dolphins May Be Missing A Key Passing Game Piece Again
Caleb Douglas has been stuck on the sideline since Week 2 with an ankle injury, and the Dolphins still have not gotten him back onto the practice field. Head coach Jeff Hafley said Wednesday that Douglas was out but improving, which at least keeps the door open for a return soon even if the timeline remains murky.
Miami could use the help. The offense has been fighting for rhythm without Douglas, with the passing game producing limited receiving yards and passing touchdowns through the first four weeks. For a unit looking to find more consistent answers through the air, his recovery has become another important subplot to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Still Waiting On Kenneth Grant's Week 5 Reality
Kenneth Grant has taken the first real step toward getting back on the field for Miami, opening his 21-day return window and getting back to practice with the team. For a Dolphins defense that could use another body inside, his comeback is about more than simply filling a roster spot. It gives Miami a chance to add some much-needed versatility to the defensive tackle rotation if the recovery keeps moving in the right direction.
For now, though, Week 5 remains unsettled. Jeff Hafley said Grants activation and playing status will depend on how he continues to respond, and no call has been made yet on whether he will suit up. Miami does have one open roster spot available, so the path is there, but the timing still matters, and the Dolphins are waiting to see whether Grant is ready soon enough to matter this week. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Just Got Pulled Into A Wild Vikings QB Debate
The Vikings 4-0 start has not quieted the noise around their quarterback situation, because the play under center still looks like an issue that could follow them well into the season. An insider recently floated the idea of Minnesota exploring a midseason trade, which is the kind of conversation that tends to surface when a team is winning but still searching for stability at the most important position. For a Dolphins audience, it is another reminder of how quickly quarterback talk can spill beyond one roster and drag other teams into the mix.
Among the names discussed was Malik Willis, along with Justin Herbert, though the Herbert angle comes with a major reality check attached. The Chargers rough opening has not turned them into sellers at quarterback, and any notion of moving Herbert is considered highly unlikely. So while the debate has opened an intriguing door, the path to an actual deal still looks far narrower than the speculation around it. [Read more 🡒]