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The Cincinnati Bengals made their loudest statement of the season in Week 16. In a 45–21 win over the Miami Dolphins, the Bengals defense earned rare public praise from Miami head coach Mike McDaniel after flipping the tone of the AFC interdivision matchup. Following the game, McDaniel admitted Cincinnati won the details.
“For the first time really that I can remember this season, it felt like we had the opportunities to run and we were getting out-techniqued,” McDaniel said, per ESPN’s Ben Baby. “They had a good plan. They wanted to be on the finer details a little bit more than we did.” For a unit that has taken heat all year, the words carried weight.
The Dolphins landed two second-quarter touchdowns and briefly found momentum. Then the door slammed shut. From late in the second quarter until the fourth, the Dolphins were held scoreless. The Bengals defense erased rushing lanes, tightened pursuit, and forced mistakes, producing two interceptions and a forced fumble that flipped the game.
The response mattered. The Bengals entered the night already eliminated from playoff contention at 5–10, while the Dolphins sat at 6–9 after being knocked out in Week 15. Pride was the fuel. Execution followed.
The performance hit harder because of recent scars. Just last week, the Bengals defense suffered a brutal 24–0 blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens that raised serious questions. Against Miami, however, those doubts faded. Gradually, communication sharpened. Soon after, discipline showed. By the end, the plan held.
On the other side, the offense made sure the effort counted. As the game opened up, Joe Burrow delivered four touchdown passes, surgically punishing every mistake and igniting a 35-point surge that buried the game. With each stop, confidence grew. With every score, the gap widened.
In that light, Mike McDaniel’s praise confirmed what the scoreboard already said. Cincinnati didn’t just win. Instead, it responded. The playoffs may be out of reach, but moments like this still matter. If this is the Bengals defense finding its footing, what does that say about how they finish the season?
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