Thursday Night Football thread: Mike McDaniel’s first game on a short week

Let’s see what ya got, coach.

Tua Tagovailoa is active for the Miami Dolphins after being listed as questionable on the injury report. It was a bizarre situation last week as the Dolphins quarterback left the game with a “back” injury. It’s not just Tua, as Jaylen Waddle is active with a groin injury, and left tackle Terron Armstead is playing through a toe injury. It’s unclear whether either player will be 100%.

Plus, Miami’s defense was on the field for what seemed like 150 plays Sunday in that Florida heat. Add in first-year coaches tend to struggle in their initial Thursday night game on a short week, and I like Cincy tonight. DraftKings Sportsbook agrees, as they have the Bengals favored by 4 points.

The Dolphins are going to live in a single-high safety look and rely on their cornerbacks sticking with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Joe Burrow excels against those looks, and the Bengals are one of the more proficient offenses in the NFL when they face man coverage.

Mike McDaniel looks the part. He’ll have to keep pace with the Bengals, so it’ll be interesting to see how aggressive the former 49ers OC is out of the gate.