By admin 
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. Official snap-by-snap totals should be checked against the final participation report before publication, but the touches, targets and game situations already show the important usage trends.
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Ollie Gordon II is the lead back.
Gordon handled 18 of Miami’s 34 rushing attempts and produced 88 yards and a touchdown. Jaylen Wright received six carries for 11 yards. The 12-carry gap, plus Gordon’s short-yardage and red-zone work, leaves little doubt about the current hierarchy while De’Von Achane remains on injured reserve.
Malik Willis is part of the rushing plan, not merely a scrambler.
Willis carried eight times for 74 yards and a touchdown. His 39-yard run sparked Miami’s fourth-quarter push. Some attempts came when pass plays broke down, but the volume confirms that quarterback movement is one of the offense’s most productive tools.
Malik Washington owns the steadiest receiving role.
Washington led Miami with eight targets, six catches and 43 yards. Kevin Coleman Jr. followed with seven targets, catching three for 30 yards and a touchdown. Greg Dulcich caught four of five targets for 37 yards. Those three players accounted for 20 of Willis’ 27 attempts, establishing the core of the passing distribution.
Chris Bell’s usage should expand.
Bell did not catch either of his targets, but his 26-yard run showed why Miami wants the ball in his hands. The challenge is turning specialty touches into a broader offensive role without making his presence a tendency for defenses.
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Defensive workload followed Cincinnati’s ball control.
The Bengals possessed the ball for 31 minutes, 40 seconds and ran 63 plays. Jacob Rodriguez’s team-high 11 tackles reflect how often Cincinnati forced Miami’s linebackers into action. Joe Burrow completed passes to nine players, stressing the entire second and third levels.
The pass-rush snaps did not become production.
Miami failed to record a sack despite Burrow’s 32 attempts. That is the most concerning usage takeaway: the edge rotation had opportunities but did not finish.
When the official participation totals are finalized, the key questions will be Coleman’s share of receiver snaps, Gordon’s passing-down work, and how Miami divided edge snaps among Chop Robinson, Josh Uche and the supporting rotation. The box score already points toward the change Miami should make: feature Gordon, Washington, Coleman and Dulcich while building Willis’ workload around movement and controlled decisions.
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This story was originally published October 12, 2026 at 2:15 PM.