Joe Burrow threw touchdown passes to four different teammates, the last a one-handed 45-yard grab by Ja’Marr Chase late in the third quarter, and the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Miami Dolphins 31-24 on Sunday, October 11, at Hard Rock Stadium.
Cincinnati moves to 3-2 going into its bye week. Miami falls to 0-5 and is still searching for its first win, despite scoring twice in the final 7:13 to make the score respectable.
JA'MARR CHASE ARE YOU SERIOUS@CINvsMIA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/k4RKY5bLbY— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
How Cincinnati built the lead
Dohnte Meyers set the tone on the opening kickoff with an 81-yard return, and Burrow cashed it in with a 4-yard throw to Mike Gesicki. Ollie Gordon II tied the game with a 1-yard run, but the Bengals scored the next two touchdowns in the second quarter: a 6-yard catch by Samaje Perine and a 2-yard catch by Tanner Hudson with 55 seconds left in the half, sending Cincinnati to the locker room up 21-7.
Safety Jordan Battle shaped that quarter as well, picking off Malik Willis on consecutive Miami drives. He now has three interceptions this season. After halftime the Bengals’ defense stopped the Dolphins at the goal line and forced Riley Patterson to settle for a 29-yard field goal, and Chase answered with his highlight catch with 39 seconds left in the third quarter for a 28-10 lead.
Miami made it interesting late. Willis hit Kevin Coleman Jr. for a 3-yard touchdown, although the extra point failed, and after an Evan McPherson field goal from 26 yards, Willis ran in from a yard out with 45 seconds left and the Dolphins added a two-point conversion. Cincinnati held on from there.
The numbers behind it
Burrow finished 23 of 32 for 190 yards with no interceptions and was not sacked. Chase caught six passes for 77 yards; the touchdown was the 58th of his career, the most by any NFL player since he entered the league in 2021, and his yardage moved him past Isaac Curtis into third place on the franchise’s career receiving list. McPherson’s kick was his 22nd straight make, a club record. Linebacker Barrett Carter made 11 tackles and a sack, and Boye Mafe recorded his third sack of the year.
Miami actually outgained Cincinnati 331 yards to 307. Willis completed 15 of 27 passes for 137 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, was sacked three times, and ran eight times for 74 yards. Gordon added 88 rushing yards on 18 carries. Kickoff came in 90-degree heat, the hottest October game ever played at the stadium.
What comes next
Both teams are off in Week 6. The Bengals visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, October 25, at 1:00 p.m. EDT, and the Dolphins travel to the New York Jets that afternoon at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The full box score is in the Game Center.
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