The Bengals are back on the road to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 13. The Bengals have a chance to play spoiler against a Dolphins team that enters the game 7-4, has won six of the last seven and are fighting for a playoff spot.
Here are three things to watch in Week 13.
1. Run It Back - One of the reasons for the Dolphins' success this season has been the stellar play on defense. Miami ranks first in third-down conversions (32.8 percent), second in scoring defense (18.6) and takeaways per game (1.7) and fourth in completion percentage (62.3 percent).
However, Miami has not been good this year against the run, ranking 29th in the NFL with 4.8 yards per rush. They've allowed 100 or more rushing yards in five of their last seven games and against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10 they gave up 99. It's a great matchup for the Bengals to get the run game moving and control time of possession.
2. Minimizing Miscues - Probably the simplest evaluation between these two teams lies in turnover differential. Cincinnati ranks tied for 27th at minus-6 in turnover differential, while Miami is fifth at plus-6. One bright spot though has been the Bengals defense creating turnovers with at least one in nine of the past 10 contests.
Winning the turnover battle is such a critical component in the NFL. The Bengals are 2-2-1 in the Taylor era with a plus turnover differential, so finding a way on defense and special teams will be a key point of emphasis. It will be a good challenge against a Miami defense that has forced at least one turnover in every game this season.
3. The Next Breakout Performance – One of the exciting aspects about a 16-game season is each week there's a possibility of a star breaking out. Take for example returner Brandon Wilson. Wilson was enjoying a solid 2020 campaign until he broke through with a record-setting 103-yard kickoff return in Week 12 against the New York Giants. That play put him back on the radar not only against opposing special teams units, but for his first Pro Bowl selection.
GAME INFORMATION
Kickoff: 1 p.m. Eastern.
Television: The game will air on CBS-TV. In the Bengals' home region, it will be carried by WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton and on WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington. Broadcasters are Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), James Lofton (analyst) and AJ Ross (reporter).
Radio: The game will air on the Bengals Radio Network, led by Cincinnati flagship stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (ESPN 1530; all sports) and WEBN-FM (102.7).
