MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Joe Burrow rebounded from his first time being shut out to throw for 309 yards and four touchdowns as the Cincinnati Bengals routed the Miami Dolphins 45-21 on Sunday.
Miami (6-9) and Cincinnati (5-10) were both eliminated from playoff contention last week, but the teams insisted they were still motivated for the final three games of the season.
It appeared that way in the first half. Cincinnati held a 17-14 halftime lead before blowing the game open with 28 points off four straight Dolphins turnovers.
Burrow carved up Miami’s defense, completing 25 of 32 throws with a 146.5 passer rating before being replaced by veteran Joe Flacco early in the fourth quarter. Two of Burrow’s touchdown passes went to running back Chase Brown, from 9 and 5 yards out. Brown, who finished with 66 yards rushing and 43 receiving, also had a 12-yard touchdown run. All of Brown’s TDs came in the third, making him the first player this season with three scores in a single quarter.
Ja’Marr Chase caught nine passes for 109 yards. Tee Higgins had an athletic 9-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter. And former Dolphin Mike Gesicki added a 17-yard TD before doing the Griddy front of his old team.
In the first start of his career, Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers led two scoring drives before throwing a pair of interceptions as Miami unrivaled in the second half for the second straight week.
Ewers, who completed 20 of 30 passes for 260 yards, was named Miami’s starter earlier this week. The embattled Tua Tagovailoa was benched following last week’s poor performance at Pittsburgh, in which he threw his league-leading 15th interception.
Ewers, a seventh-round pick out of Texas, has hardly taken any first-team practice reps, instead running the scout team most of the season. That didn’t matter much to coach Mike McDaniel, who indicated his standard has not been met from the quarterback position and felt Ewers could provide a spark.
Ewers got off to a strong start Sunday. He was 10 of 12 in the first half and was decisive and effective on play-action.
Tagovailoa, who led the league in passing in 2023 but has not played up to the four-year, $212.4 million contract extension signed in 2024, was Miami’s emergency third quarterback behind Ewers and veteran Zach Wilson.
Injuries
Bengals: CB DJ Turner II (illness) and TE Cam Grandy (left clavicle) left in the second half.
Dolphins: WR Dee Eskridge (toe) left in the third quarter.
Up next
Bengals: Host Arizona next Sunday.
Dolphins: Host Tampa Bay next Sunday.