Joe Burrow looked comfortable, confident and in control again Sunday, and the Cincinnati Bengals followed his lead to their most decisive win in weeks.
Burrow threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns as Cincinnati pulled away in the second half for a 45–21 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Bengals rebounded from their first shutout loss of the season and delivered one of their most complete performances despite both teams already being eliminated from playoff contention.
Cincinnati improved to 5–10, while Miami fell to 6–9. The Bengals led 17–14 at halftime before turning the game into a rout by capitalizing on four consecutive Dolphins turnovers, scoring 28 unanswered points in a dominant third quarter.
Burrow completed 25 of 32 passes for a 146.5 passer rating and was efficient and creative throughout, extending plays and consistently finding open receivers. He exited early in the fourth quarter with the outcome decided, giving way to veteran Joe Flacco.
Running back Chase Brown was the focal point of the third-quarter explosion. Brown scored three touchdowns in the period, becoming the first player this season to record three scores in a single quarter. He caught touchdown passes of 9 and 5 yards and added a 12-yard rushing touchdown, finishing with 66 rushing yards and 43 receiving.
Ja’Marr Chase led Cincinnati’s receivers with nine catches for 109 yards. Tee Higgins opened the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, and tight end Mike Gesicki added a 17-yard score against his former team.
Miami showed early promise behind rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was making the first start of his career after being named the starter earlier in the week. Ewers guided the Dolphins to two first-half scoring drives and was sharp early, completing 10 of his first 12 passes.
The momentum shifted after halftime, however, as Miami unraveled with turnovers and stalled drives. Ewers finished 20 of 30 for 260 yards but threw two interceptions as the Dolphins were outscored 28–7 in the second half for the second consecutive week.
The Dolphins’ quarterback change came after Tua Tagovailoa was benched following a rough outing at Pittsburgh. Tagovailoa served as Miami’s emergency third quarterback Sunday behind Ewers and Zach Wilson.
Injuries
Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II exited in the second half due to illness, and tight end Cam Grandy left with a left clavicle injury.
For Miami, wide receiver Dee Eskridge left in the third quarter with a toe injury.
Up Next
The Bengals host the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday.
The Dolphins return home to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday.
