Stretching Hopes For Reader; Zero Hour For Bengals’ Burrow, Dolphins; Inactives

Now that Bengals nose tackle supreme D.J. Reader is on injured reserve with what is thought to be an MCL injury, the clock starts ticking on when he can return with hopes he can be back for a stretch run.

How good was the 28-year-old when he got hurt in the first half Sunday in New York? Pro Bowl good.

When Week 4 began Thursday night with Bengals-Dolphins at Paycor Stadium, he was ranked ahead of Rams Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald in the Pro Football Focus ranking for defensive tackles at No. 2 with top ten seven grades in pass rush and run stops.

With no corresponding moves, look for the Bengals to attack the Dolphins’ 13th ranked offense the way they lined up against the Jets in the second half of a game they allowed no touchdowns. Veteran Josh Tupou, who has already started the last two games when they opened with as five-man line, almost assuredly starts this one. So if they go five-man again to start the game, third–round pick Zach Carter would get his first NFL start coming off a game he had a career-high 27 snaps after playing a combined 23 in the first two game.

Jay Tufele is the fourth defensive tackle in his first Bengals game after being inactive for the first three games. It’s the fifth NFL game for Tufele after the 104th pick in the 2021 draft out of USC was claimed on waivers when the Jags released him on cutdown day.

ZERO HERO: A year ago Thursday night on this very spot, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow declared to the world “You can’t zero (blitz) me,” after Jacksonville failed in what was Burrow’s first fourth-quarter comeback of his career.

No one zero blitzes more than Miami under defensive coordinator Josh Boyer. He’s in his third season in the same gig and it’s hard to see him pulling the plug on what they do even though it is high risk because it leaves basically virtually nobody on the last level with no help

But will they challenge, who

And the Dolphins have given up five touchdowns and have no picks against the blitz this season, according to…