The Miami Dolphins are 0-5 for the first time since 2019 after the 31-24 Week 5 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
On the bright side, the Dolphins totaled a season high in points and yards gained. The Miami offense put together some momentum at the end of the game and brought the score back to within one possession. The Dolphins relied heavily on the run game for offensive output as the passing game still can't seem to get on track consistently.
The Miami defense was able to limit big plays by the Bengals offense. Rookie cornerback Chris Johnson forced a fumble turnover on Cincinnati running back Chase Brown in the Dolphins' red zone. However, the Dolphins struggled to put pressure on Joe Burrow, and the Bengals established a lead that they did
not give up despite a late surge by the Dolphins.
Here are the takeaways from another Miami Dolphins loss.
Malik Willis' job security as starting QB might come into question soon
It was another rough outing for Malik Willis, completing 15 of 27 passes for 137 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and a fumble lost. Willis completed just five passes for ten or more yards as the Dolphins primarily relied on the rushing attack on offense. This is the third game this season Willis has not passed for over 200 yards, and no wide receiver on the Dolphins has had a 100-yard receiving day.
At some point, the question will become whether or not Willis is the right man for the job. He has been turning the ball over, not finding open receivers, and taking costly sacks. Unless Willis starts making better decisions or the game plan changes, the struggles in the passing game will likely continue. The Dolphins have Kyle McCord as the backup to Willis, but there has not yet been an indication that Willis' job is in jeopardy.
Willis was able to use his mobility and rush for 74 yards and a touchdown. His capabilities as a runner clearly need to be implemented more often if this offense is going to reach its ceiling.
Ollie Gordon's performance last week was not a fluke
Gordon carried the ball 18 times for 88 yards and a touchdown. Gordon's running was a focal point all game. Had this game been closer throughout, it's almost a certainty that Gordon would have gone for over 100 yards for the second straight week.
Gordon entered last week averaging just 2.7 yards per attempt on the season. He has completely turned it around and been the key player for the Dolphins offense. Gordon has assumed the top running back role since De'Von Achane went down, and he is proving that he is up to the task.
The Dolphins will need to continue to feature him early and often in the coming weeks.
The Dolphins did not quit despite being down three scores in the second half
The Dolphins were able to salvage what appeared to be another ugly loss by scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to bring the game to within seven points. The Dolphins entered the fourth quarter down 28-10 and with very little momentum in their favor.
After a Joe Burrow-to-Jamar Chase 45-yard touchdown gave the Bengals a 28-10 lead, Miami embarked on a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. This drive was sparked by a 39-yard scramble by Malik Willis, converting on a big 3rd down, which took the Dolphins into Bengals' territory. Willis finished the drive by converting another 3rd down, finding rookie Kevin Coleman Jr. in the end zone from three yards out, then finding Greg Dulcich for the two-point conversion to bring the score to 28-18.
Later in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins put together an eight-play, 61-yard touchdown drive finished off by Willis punching the ball into the end zone from one-yard out. Unfortunately, by the time the Dolphins cut the Cincinnati lead to 7 points, they needed an unlikely onside kick to keep the game alive. The Dolphins did not recover the onside kick, and the Bengals kneeled the clock out.
The Dolphins showed fight despite momentum not going in their favor. Even though the losses continue to mount, the fight this team is showing is encouraging.
The Dolphins defense once again did not record a single sack.
After recording four sacks against Minnesota last week, the Dolphins did not bring down Joe Burrow a single time. The Dolphins have now not recorded a sack in four out of their first five games.
The opposing quarterbacks have been far too comfortable in the pocket against this Miami defense. It is a glaring issue that is keeping this defense on the field for long sustained drives.
The Miami defense was able to limit big passing plays against an explosive offense
The Dolphins took the field against a high-powered Bengals offense that features two star wide receivers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase had a big 45-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter to extend the Cincinnati lead to 28-10. But this was the only play for the Bengals offense that went for over 20 yards.
The Dolphins secondary deserves credit for limiting the impact of these two wideouts. However, it is important to note that the Bengals were up by multiple scores most of the game, so they didn't need to emphasize the explosive passing plays.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Takeaways from Dolphins' Week 5 loss to Bengals
