Williams: Predictions for Cincinnati Bengals vs. Miami Dolphins; UC Bearcats AAC opener
Tough games this week for Cincinnati's NFL and college football teams. Here are my weekly predictions for the Bengals and UC Bearcats games:
NFL prediction: Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) vs. Miami Dolphins (3-0)
It's hard to take any team that has a "butt punt" on its season resume seriously, let alone one that’s gone for a safety. Nonetheless, Miami survived such an embarrassment last weekend to defeat the class of the AFC, Buffalo Bills, 21-19.
Most NFL watchers thought Miami would be good, but no one predicted the Dolphins would be undefeated coming to Cincinnati for Thursday Night Football. Back-to-back victories against Baltimore and Buffalo have made Miami the early season darlings of the NFL.
They're good because of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. But the former Alabama star is battling back and ankle injuries, and it's uncertain whether he'll play. Tagovailoa told reporters Tuesday he plans to play. Meanwhile, drama is swirling around the Dolphins over how the team handled a concussion protocol after Tagovailoa got his bell rung against Buffalo and returned to the game.
If Tagovailoa can't go, the Dolphins will turn to Teddy Bridgewater. The Bengals ended Bridgewater's season in 2021, when he was playing for Denver. He suffered a head injury and was carted off the field late in the third quarter in the Bengals' 15-10 road win over the Broncos in December. Since then, Bridgewater has thrown two incomplete passes in a game, both last week.
Miami is coming off an emotional win against an AFC East rival. The Dolphins defense was on the field for more than 40 minutes on Sunday, not ideal for going on the road in a short week.
It all points to the Dolphins coming back to earth after a hot start.
The Bengals got the confidence-boosting victory they desperately needed last week against the New York Jets. Cincinnati's offense is far from a smooth-running engine, but the Bengals should continue to improve. They'll be bolstered by a rabid, primetime crowd that'll be extra jacked at the sight of the Bengals wearing the special white helmets for the first time.
Prediction: Bengals win, 21-17
Last week: Cincinnati defeated the New York Jets, 27-12. I predicted the Bengals would win, 28-14.
My season record: 2-1
'He was the right fit for us':Why the Bengals drafted Joe Burrow over Tua Tagovailoa
College football prediction: Cincinnati Bearcats (3-1) at Tulsa (2-2)
Big 12-bound UC begins its final season of American Athletic Conference play on Saturday night. Can the Bearcats run the table in the AAC for the third consecutive season?
The Bearcats will first have to get past the AAC team that’s given them the most fits the past two seasons.
Tulsa darn near spoiled UC’s undefeated 2021 season. But Golden Hurricane running back Steven Anderson fumbled the ball away while going into the end zone for the potential tying score with 36 seconds left at Nippert Stadium last November. The Bearcats held for a 28-20 win.
UC also had to grind out a 27-24 win against Tulsa in the 2020 conference championship game.
In both games, UC couldn’t stop Tulsa’s rushing attack. This season, the Golden Hurricane is the top passing team in the AAC. It’s a matchup of the top two scoring teams in the league, with UC atop the AAC averaging 42.5 yards per game.
The all-time series is deadlocked 17-17-2, though UC has won 8 of the last 9 games. It’ll be UC’s first trip to Tulsa since 2016, the final year of the ill-fated Tommy Tuberville era. UC lost that game, 40-37.
UC is the better team, but the Bearcats can’t take their foot off the gas like they did in the second half in last Saturday’s win over Indiana. Expect another hard-fought game.
Prediction: Bearcats win, 35-28
Last week: UC defeated Indiana, 45-24. I predicted UC would win, 31-24.
My season record: 3-0 (predictions column didn’t start until after UC’s season-opener at Arkansas)
UC vs. Tulsa:Cincinnati Bearcats set to open final AAC slate Saturday at Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Contact sports columnist Jason Williams by email at jwilliams@enquirer.com and on Twitter @jwilliamscincy.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals vs. Dolphins score prediction NFL Thursday Night Football
