The Miami Dolphins lost their Week 5 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals 32-14 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, dropping them to a brutal 0-5 on the season. That record ties them for the worst in the entire league, sitting right there with the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans. After five weeks, it’s getting harder and harder to even argue that any team is worse than what’s happening in Miami.
0-5 and The Whole League Knows It
You just hate to see it, man, a team struggling this hard. These power rankings coming out are a brutal read for Dolphins fans. USA Today Sports pegs them at No. 31, flat out saying, “They’re terrible and will remain that way for the duration of this season.” Ouch. CBS Sports and Bleacher Report don’t mince words either, both putting them dead last at No. 32, with CBS even asking the blunt question: “The question is will they win a game.” FOX Sports, The Athletic, and Yahoo! Sports all had them at No. 31. It’s a clean sweep of bottom-feeder rankings. The Athletic did throw them a bone though, noting, “Hey, at least they fight!” and mentioning they “hung around with Cincinnati” after keeping it close against the undefeated Vikings. But let’s be real, Yahoo! Sports pointed out the “true story” of the Bengals game was a 28-10 deficit after three quarters, and that this team has trailed by at least 14 points in four of five games. That’s a pattern, not a fluke.
Willis Can’t Buy A Win, But Rodriguez Is Still Going Off
A big chunk of this mess seems to be squarely on the offense. FOX Sports calls them “one of the worst offenses in the league,” and nobody’s sugarcoating it about quarterback Malik Willis. He’s in his first season as a full-time starter, and FOX Sports said “there isn’t a quarterback anywhere playing as poorly as Malik Willis.” Bleacher Report hammers it home, highlighting the “league’s worst wide receiver depth” and an offensive line “not playing particularly well.” Combine that with running back De’Von Achane’s season-ending injury, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Ollie Gordon, bless his heart, has stepped up with 188 yards and two touchdowns in two starts since Achane went down, which is a silver lining. And get this, against the Bengals, they actually scored a season-high 24 points and out-gained Cincy 331 yards to 307. That’s something, right?
On the defensive side, it’s a mixed bag. FOX Sports said head coach Jeff Hafley’s defense has been “OK.” But ESPN dove deep, revealing the Dolphins took until the first snap of their fourth game to record their first sack. Their sack rate is the second-worst in the NFL, leading to easy completions and ranking them last in both opposing QBR and completion percentage. Even their 2024 first-round pick, Chop Robinson, started slow, and the secondary is one of the youngest in the league. But amidst all this, Sports Illustrated dropped a highlight about Jacob Rodriguez, who’s not only leading the league in tackles but “just wants a W.” How do you not root for a guy like that?
So, where do they go from here? The good news is they won’t lose in Week 6, because they’ve got a bye. After that, FOX Sports laid it out, they get the Jets twice in a month, which might be their only two chances for wins all season. Those two games are going to tell us everything.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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