The Dolphins fell 31-24 to the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. Amid the defeat, Miami continued to find success with its running game and held a pair of star wide receivers to under 100 combined yards.
1. Running game continues to produce
Since losing star running back De'Von Achane to a season-ending injury, the Dolphins have run for 457 yards in three games, an average of 152.3 per contest. Second-year running back Ollie Gordon II has scored touchdowns in all three games while running for 229 yards on just 44 attempts, an average of 5.2 yards per carry.
"I am extremely proud of how Ollie has played, how hard he's run, and the job that he's done, and I think he's taken a big step in his career, Head Coach Jeff Hafley said. "We're going to need him to continue to do that. And again, with that, I give the offensive line credit. I thought they did a really good job blocking a really good front."
Sunday was the Dolphins' best rushing performance of the season. Quarterback Malik Willis added 74 yards on eight rushing attempts. His 186 rushing yards this season rank second among quarterbacks (Jayden Daniels, 203).
Wide receivers Chris Bell (26 yards) and Malik Washington (18 yards) added explosive runs as Miami piled up 217 rushing yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry against a Bengals defense that entered the game with the second-best run-stuff rate (runs for no gain or a loss) in the NFL.
2. Passing the test on the perimeter
Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase made one of the catches of the year when he reeled in a touchdown on a 45-yard jump ball opportunity from quarterback Joe Burrow late in the third quarter. Chase and the other half of the NFL's best wide receiver tandem, Tee Higgins, combined for 99 yards – nearly half of that coming via Chase's impressive grab.
Rookie cornerback Chris Johnson played arguably the best game of his young career, which featured his first forced takeaway. He punched the ball free from the grasp of Cincinnati running back Samaje Perine inside the Miami 10-yard line for Miami's lone takeaway of the day. Cornerback Juju Brents broke up a goal line fade to Chase on the first drive while cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. made four total tackles in the game.
Miami also held the Bengals to less than four yards per carry (31 attempts, 117 yards). None of the Dolphins' first five opponents have been able to surpass four yards per carry in a game as the Miami run defense ranks sixth in the NFL, allowing just 3.7 yards per carry on the season.
3. Turnovers and the margins
Despite Miami closing in on the Bengals in the box score, the road team left town with a seven-point win. The biggest culprit in this loss for the Dolphins was the turnovers, as Cincinnati recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
"You can't turn the ball over three times," Hafley said. "I mean you just, you can't do it. You're never going to win a game turning the ball over three times. And then when we get down to the one-yard line, we got to score."
The Bengals also found the end zone just 57 seconds into the game following an 81-yard kickoff return to begin the day.
"You can't open up the game and have a kickoff return go down inside the 10-yard line," Hafley said. "That's just a tough way to basically spot them seven points and start from there and start in a hole. I thought we fought back but we just kept having some self-inflicted moments that just weren't good enough today."
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