Jeff Hafley’s Dolphins produced season highs in points and rushing yards Sunday, but three turnovers and situational breakdowns left Miami 0-5. The head coach’s decisions offered both a usable blueprint and a warning about what must change during the bye.
Miami ran 64 offensive plays (doubling last week’s) in Sunday’s 31-24 loss to Cincinnati, and the workload distribution revealed a team moving toward a run-first identity while still searching for stability in its passing rotation.
Miami’s 31-24 loss to Cincinnati produced the Dolphins’ best rushing performance of the season and their highest point total, but the position-group grades show why those gains did not translate into a victory.
Miami’s 31-24 loss to Cincinnati did not change the team’s winless record, but it changed the outlook for several players. The clearest movement came from young offensive players who created production — and from a quarterback whose mistakes overshadowed his athleticism.
A few trades have rearranged the NFL's backup quarterback ranks, but the dust has mostly settled. From a mix of recent first-round disappointments, aging vets, and young project types, here is how the league's QB2 ranks look for the 2026 season.
The Miami Dolphins completely hit the reset button in the offseason. The team moved on from their franchise quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. Furthermore, they scraped the roster down to the bones by getting rid of Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, Tyreek Hill, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The 2026 Miami Dolphins are 0-5, staring down a bleak bye week after dropping a tight 31-24 contest to the Cincinnati Bengals . Eighteen years ago, the 2008 Detroit Lions walked an identical, agonizing path on their way to the NFL’s first 0-16 finish.
The Miami Dolphins are still searching for their first win, and Sunday’s collapse showed just how much work remains. Miami fell to the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-24, at Hard Rock Stadium, dropping to 0-5 heading into its Week 6 bye.
Ollie Gordon Steps Up Again for the Miami Dolphins Amid the Miami Dolphins’ unfortunate 0-5 start to the 2026 season, second-year running back Ollie Gordon is off back-to-back strong performances.
NFL stars can't play forever, and retirement is coming sooner than later for some of the league's top players. These 25 players could call it quits following the 2026 season.
Miami’s 0-5 record makes any player ranking difficult, but individual value still can be measured by production, reliability, role and recent trajectory.
The Miami Dolphins are 0-5 after Sunday’s 31-24 loss to Cincinnati, so frustration is justified. Still, the distinction between a fair conclusion and an overreaction matters as Miami enters its bye week.
The Miami Dolphins experienced their first service interruption along the offensive line in Week 5. The next man up played, well, like the next man up.
The Miami Dolphins fell to 0-5 on the season in Week 5 — but their loss still came with several strong performances to build upon. The Miami Dolphins didn’t get the outcome they wanted.
Don't let the 31-24 final score deceive you; this was not a close game between the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. In an important game for Cincy regarding the standings in the AFC North, they took care of business and handed the Fins their fifth straight loss.
The Miami Dolphins suffered another crushing loss in Week 5. Miami barely lost to Cincinnati, coming up short in the 31-24 shootout at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Miami Dolphins fell to 0-5 on the season in Week 5 — but their loss still came with several strong performances to build upon. The Miami Dolphins‘ Week 5 effort against the Cincinnati Bengals offered a slow start on offense and some familiar issues that have plagued the first month of the season.
Miami Dolphins Head Into Bye Week After Tough Loss The Miami Dolphins head into their bye week after a frustrating 31-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Miami Dolphins came into week five 0-4, looking for their first win, especially at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. But the offense looks uncomfortable with quarterback Malik Willis.
Outmatched Dolphins Lose Fifth Straight Game A few takeaways from the Dolphins’ fifth loss of the 2026 season: Willis is making poor decisions and is inaccurate.
Malik Willis Looks Awful in Loss to the Bengals It is a borderline miracle that the Miami Dolphins only lost 31-24 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Given quarterback Malik Willis‘s poor play, the Bengals should have blown them out.
As part of a series of roster moves on Saturday, the Dolphins activated defensive tackle Kenneth Grant from injured reserve, according to Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.
The Miami Dolphins claimed running back Kaytron Allen off waivers from the Washington Commanders on Friday, adding a recent draft pick who never settled into a role in the nation’s capital.
Hill remains the subject of an active NFL personal conduct policy review after his estranged wife came forward with allegations of domestic violence against him. A civil trial regarding those accusations got underway this week, and Hill took the stand on Thursday.
The 32-year-old hasn't played an NFL snap since he suffered a gruesome knee injury while with the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 29, 2025, and he reportedly may not be ready to make his in-game return until November.