Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes and Jordan Battle had two interceptions to help the Cincinnati Bengals secure a 31-24 victory over the host Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
Burrow completed 23 of 32 passes for 190 yards as Cincinnati (3-2) rebounded following back-to-back losses.
The Dolphins (0-5) lost their first five games of the season for the first time since starting the 2019 season with seven losses in a row.
Ja’Marr Chase, who was in concussion protocol earlier in the week, started and caught six passes for 77 yards. Chase made an acrobatic, leaping catch in the end zone despite tight coverage from Dolphins’ cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. to snare Burrow’s fourth touchdown pass with 39 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Bengals a 28-10 lead.
Ollie Gordon II led the Dolphins in rushing with 88 yards on 18 carries, and a 1-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 7 with 8:02 left in the first quarter. The Dolphins finished with a season-high 331 total yards and ran for 217 yards, which helped them finish with a season-high scoring output.
After Chase’s touchdown catch, Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis led a 14-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 8:26. Willis capped it with a 3-yard pass to the back of the end zone to rookie Kevin Coleman Jr., who caught his first NFL touchdown. Tight end Greg Dulcich then made a great catch of his own in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion to cut Cincinnati’s lead to 28-18 with 7:13 left in the fourth quarter.
The Dolphins forced the Bengals to punt on their ensuing possession. But as Willis looked to scramble up the field on the drive’s second play, Jonathan Allen stripped him of the ball and recovered it at Miami’s 10 with 2:34 left. That led to a 26-yard field goal by Evan McPherson with 2:09 left. McPherson broke the Bengals’ record for consecutive made field goals with his 22nd in a row.
Willis completed 15 of 27 passes for 137 yards, and an interception, and ran for 74 yards on eight attempts. His 1-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds left in the game put Miami within one score. But the Dolphins ensuing onside kick attempt failed, sealing the win for the Bengals.
