Two teams fighting off injuries amid disappointing seasons meet when the Cincinnati Bengals battle the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in Cincinnati.
The Bengals (5-10) enjoyed arguably their best all-around performance of the season last Sunday, scoring 35 straight points to wipe out an early 14-10 deficit in a 45-21 rout of the host Miami Dolphins.
The Cardinals (3-12) lost their seventh straight, a 26-19 home setback to the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday.
One week after a 24-0 loss to Baltimore that eliminated them from playoff contention, the Bengals answered their first shutout loss since 2017 – and its first with Burrow as quarterback – by posting their largest scoring output of the season.
The Bengals lead the NFL with 11 takeaways since Week 12. Defensive end Myles Murphy and safety Jordan Battle, both third-year starters, teamed up for Cincinnati’s first takeaway against Miami.
“We’ve played a lot of young guys, and these guys have just gotten better and better,” Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said. “Our future is really bright that way. Every first-, second- and third-year player, I really feel like has made huge strides this season as they’ve gotten more reps and more opportunity. We have a lot of confidence in those guys.”
Cincinnati’s win over the Dolphins also was highlighted by individual career milestones on the offensive side. Most notably, Burrow played in his 75th regular-season game and became both the fifth-fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 20,000 passing yards and the third-fastest to reach 150 touchdown passes. His top target, Ja’Marr Chase, finished with nine catches for 109 yards and surpassed 500 career receptions in the second-fewest number of games in league history (76).
The Bengals were without defensive end Joseph Ossai and receiver Charlie Jones last week due to ankle injuries and both are uncertain to play Sunday. Neither practiced Wednesday, along with tight end Cam Grandy (chest). Tight end Noah Fant (ankle) and center Matt Lee (knee) were limited.
The Cardinals enter Week 17 nursing several significant injuries sustained in the loss to the Falcons. Defensive tackle Walter Nolen III (knee), Arizona’s first-round pick in 2025, and starting cornerback Garrett Williams (Achilles) were lost for the season.
Linebacker Josh Sweat injured his ankle and tried to return in the second half but couldn’t finish the game. Starting center Hjalte Froholdt injured his left elbow. Safeties Budda Baker and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson were both evaluated for concussions.
Sweat, Baker, left guard Evan Brown (personal), cornerback Kei’Trel Clark (back) and left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Froholt, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel), safety Jalen Thompson (hamstring) and cornerbacks Will Johnson (thumb/chest), Max Melton (heel) and Darren Hall (concussion) were limited.
“I thought we battled,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “I love the resilience (and) thought we battled in there. Ultimately, fell up a little short. I thought kind of a key component of the game (was) we had some scoring drives. We moved it, but we had to settle for some field goals.”
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who defeated the Bengals in the 2024 season opener as the starter for New England, was held to 16-of-31 passing against Atlanta, throwing for 203 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
“It’s tough. Because we already are down (so many) guys, so it’s tough to see the guys that you know put in the work with go down,” Brissett said. “It’s very unfortunate and you can’t prevent it.”
Arizona Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride enters Sunday’s game with 109 receptions for 1,098 yards and 10 touchdowns. He needs just three catches to break his own franchise single-season record set in 2024.
McBride needs seven catches to break the franchise single-season record for receptions (115 by DeAndre Hopkins in 2020) and eight to break the NFL single-season record for receptions by a tight end (116 by Zach Ertz in 2018). The fourth-year veteran is just 108 receiving yards from breaking the franchise single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end (1,205 by Hall of Famer Jackie Smith in 1967).
