When the Cincinnati Bengals face the Miami Dolphins Thursday night, they will do so with one of their best defensive players back on the field when Vontaze Burfict makes his 2016 debut after serving a three-game suspension to open the season.
Burfict's return is good news for the Bengals. It's also just about the only good news they have received of late, and it isn't going to magically fix all the problems for a football team that's one last-minute field goal from beginning the season 0-3.
It wasn't supposed to be like this.