MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Quarterback Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes Sunday to lead the Cincinnati Bengals to a 31-24 road victory over the winless Miami Dolphins, snapping a two-game losing streak.
Burrow connected with four different targets for scores, including an acrobatic 45-yard touchdown by wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the second half, as Cincinnati never trailed. With the win, the Bengals improved to 3-2 on the season, while Miami fell to 0-5. News reports differed on the venue: United Press International and Sports Illustrated placed the game at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida, where field temperatures hit 100 degrees according to ProFootballTalk, while Cincinnati.com reported the contest took place at Paycor Stadium.
Burrow distributes scoring strikes
Cincinnati capitalized on good field position immediately after Dohnte Meyers returned the opening kickoff 81 yards, UPI reported. Fifty-two seconds into the game, Burrow found tight end Mike Gesicki for a 4-yard touchdown pass to give Cincinnati an early lead.
After Miami tied the score on a 1-yard run by rookie running back Ollie Gordon, Burrow put Cincinnati ahead for good with a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Samaje Perine. Burrow added a third first-half score on a pass to tight end Tanner Hudson, helping the Bengals establish an 18-point advantage.
Burrow completed 23 of 32 passes for 190 yards, spreading completions to nine different players without committing a turnover or taking a sack, outlets reported. Chase led Cincinnati with six receptions for 77 yards, highlighted by a third-quarter grab where he corralled a pass with one hand after it deflected off his shoulder.
“If we want to be the team we think we’re going to be, we’ve got to be better than that,” Burrow said following the game, according to UPI.
Turnovers thwart Miami rally
Miami quarterback Malik Willis completed 15 of 27 passes for 137 yards with one passing score, one rushing touchdown and two interceptions, UPI reported. Safety Jordan Battle intercepted Willis on consecutive second-half drives, finishing with six tackles and two passes defensed. Battle noted after the contest that Willis had a “tell” when releasing the football, Sports Illustrated reported.
Willis also lost a fumble late in the fourth quarter when defensive tackle Jonathan Allen knocked the ball loose and recovered it, according to game accounts. Willis rallied the Dolphins in the closing minutes with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman Jr. and a 1-yard run, but Miami could not recover an onside kick with under a minute remaining.
“We fought and we gave ourselves a chance at the end, Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted to,” Willis said, as quoted by UPI. “Turnovers … all the same stuff.”
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor acknowledged the late push by the hosts. “It’s hard to win in this league,” Taylor said, according to UPI. “We’ve certainly been in those games before, where we let them slip away. Credit to Miami, they fought us tooth and nail to the very end.”
Kicking milestone and what lies ahead
Kicker Evan McPherson provided critical fourth-quarter points for Cincinnati with a 26-yard field goal. The kick marked his 22nd consecutive successful field goal, establishing a new franchise record and eclipsing the previous mark of 21 set by Shayne Graham, according to Sports Illustrated and Cincinnati.com. McPherson remained a perfect 9-for-9 on field goals this season.
Both franchises now head into an open date in Week 6. The Dolphins remain searching for their first win of the campaign, having yet to hold a lead this season, while the Bengals will resume play on Oct. 25 on the road against the Baltimore Ravens.
