MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Bengals’ defense shut down the Dolphins’ vaunted running game and then set it sights on rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers with four straight turnovers (one a fourth-and-one stop) to begin the second half in Sunday’s 45-21 victory over Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.
Quarterback Joe Burrow’s offense turned the four turnovers into four touchdowns, three of them for running back Chase Brown in a stunning third quarter that included the first career interceptions for rookie linebacker Barrett Carter and fifth-year cornerback Jalen Davis.
In leading the Bengals to their most points in a dozen years, Burrow sifted his second-best passer rating of his career at 146.5 on four touchdowns and 309 yards generated by 25 of 32 passing. And that was with 11:22 to go in the game, when he was relieved by Joe Flacco.
The turning point came on the first drive of the second half when Dolphins running back De’Von Achane’s 31-yard screen pass on third-and four was negated by an offensive pass interference call. On the next play, Bengals safety Jordan Battle put his helmet on the ball after tight end Greg Dulicich caught a 10-yarder. The ball popped out and defensive end Myles Murphy recovered at the Dolphins’ 34-yard line.
The offense delivered in six plays, capped by a Burrow flip to Chase Brown for a nine-yard touchdown pass that made it 24-14 less than six minutes into the half.
Brown caught it at the five-yard line and spun inside to leave Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks, the NFL’s leading tackler, in the lurch on his way to scoring both through the air and ground in the same game for the third time this season.
The Bengals took a 17-14 lead late in the first half when Burrow engineered a one-minute touchdown drive, keeping it alive on third-and-10 from the Miami 38 when he escaped Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler and then flung it short across his body to tight end Drew Sample for a 27-yard gain.
Halfback Samaje Perine hammered home a four-yard touchdown run with 1:24 left in the half, and the Bengals’ defense snuffed out any hope of Miami doubling up when they received the second-half kickoff.
