The Miami Dolphins fell to the Cincinnati Bengals, 31-24, at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Cincinnati opened the scoring after an 81-yard kick return by receiver Dohnte Meyers set up favorable field position. From there, quarterback Joe Burrow found tight end Mike Gesicki on a pass up the middle for a touchdown, and kicker Evan McPherson converted the extra point to give the Bengals an early 7-0 lead.
Miami responded with a complete opening drive of its own, sparked by a 32-yard return from running back Jaylen Wright. An 18-yard run by wide receiver Malik Washington moved the Dolphins inside Cincinnati's 40, where running back Ollie Gordon II added 22 yards to help set up a scoring opportunity.
During a field goal attempt, a roughing the snapper penalty by Cincinnati handed the Dolphins a 1st-and-goal, allowing Gordon II to pick up two more yards to cross into the end zone. Kicker Riley Patterson added the extra point to even the score, 7-7.
The teams traded punts to close out the first quarter. Miami's defense extended Cincinnati's next drive to 15 plays, with inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez recording four stops in a single series. Burrow ultimately connected with running back Samaje Perine for a touchdown, and McPherson converted the extra point to make it 14-7.
A Miami turnover then gave Cincinnati possession near midfield after a 7-yard return. Running back Chase Brown moved the ball inside the 5-yard line, where cornerback Chris Johnson forced a fumble, which was recovered by edge Chop Robinson to return the ball to the Dolphins.
A second turnover on the following play halted the Dolphins' momentum. The Bengals capitalized on the opportunity, with Burrow finding tight end Tanner Hudson in the end zone to send Cincinnati into the locker room with a 21-7 lead.
Miami relied on its run game early in the second half. Quarterback Malik Willis put his legs to work with an 11-yard scramble, followed by a 26-yard gain from rookie receiver Chris Bell. A 17-yard run from Gordon II helped put Miami in position for points, and Patterson connected on a 29-yard field goal to trim Cincinnati's lead to 21-10.
Burrow responded with a 45-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ja'Marr Chase and McPherson converted the extra point to make it 28-10.
The Dolphins answered in kind. Willis kicked it off with a 39-yard run, before finding rookie receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. on a 3-yard touchdown pass. Greg Dulcich caught a 2-point conversion attempt to make the score 28-18.
Despite taking over at Miami's 10-yard line three possessions later, Cincinnati was forced to settle for a field goal after defensive lineman Jordan Phillips made several crucial stops, leaving the score 31-18 with two minutes on the clock.
Miami added one more score with its final possession of the afternoon. Gordon II ripped off a 15-yard run before Willis connected with Coleman Jr. for 23 yards through the air. Willis then punched it into the end zone from 1 yard out to make the final a one-score game at 31-24.
Gordon II paced the ground game with 18 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Washington led receivers with 6 catches for 44 yards. Rodriguez finished with a team-high 11 tackles (4 solo).
The Dolphins now head into their bye week before hitting the road for a Week 7 matchup against the New York Jets (2-3) on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
