Bengals safeties Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell led the defense against the Miami Dolphins
But Bates ran him down at the 20 like his Pro Bowl dash at the close of his third season. He punched it out and for the second straight week Bell picked up a rolling fumble (this one at the 13) and took it back to midfield as the Bengals hung in by a thread and moved Miami to 0-for-9 on third down.
Bengals Notebook: Brandon Allen, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins after Week 13 at Miami
Rookie wide receiver Tee Higgins, who had five catches for 56 yards, got hurt on the Bengals' lone play longer than nine yards in the second half when he said he "tweaked," a hamstring vaulting over safety Bobby McCain on the last play before the two-minute warning during his 22-yard catch-and-run from Ryan Finley.
What Zac Taylor, Brandon Allen & The Bengals Said Following Week 13 At Miami
"It was the third quarter in a nutshell. And they came out, had three straight scoring drives and then we had three-and-outs. And I've got to put our guys in a better position, too. We have to make plays that are there, but at the same time, I've got to be accountable for that and put us in better spots. We played the game how we expected it to be played in the first half, and then weren't good enough in the third quarter and that's where it got away."
Cincinnati Bengals fall to the Miami Dolphins, 19-7
Riding the momentum of curious officiating at the end of the first half, Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who threw for 111 yards in the first half, threw for more than that in a third quarter the Bengals could muster just minus-four yards of offense. Tagovailoa finished 26 of 39 for 296 yards, but produced just one touchdown against a bend-but-don't break Bengals defense.
Five players ejected in chippy Miami Dolphins-Cincinnati Bengals game
The most significant of the skirmishes came early in the fourth quarter in what had already been a chippy game. Bengals special-teams player Mike Thomas hit Dolphins returner Jakeem Grant very early as he tried to catch a punt, leading to significant commotion near the Bengals' sideline with several Dolphins players taking exception to the hit.
Same old ghosts for Cincinnati Bengals in ugliest loss of Zac Taylor era
The 19-7 loss to the Dolphins was arguably the low point for the Bengals in Taylor's two seasons as a coach. The Bengals let a halftime lead slip away, were absolutely dominated in the second half and showed a stunning lack of discipline that hadn't been previously seen since Taylor was hired in 2019.
Dolphins-Bengals: NFL explains why five players were ejected
“The officials had a flag for unnecessary roughness after the action was over. So by rule, that allows us to assist from New York. The officials ejected one player and then we saw another player also commit a foul that rose to the level of an ejection, which is why we disqualified him also.”
Participants in Bengals-Dolphins melee will be reviewed for possible fines, not suspensions
Back-to-back cheap shots from Bengals receiver Mike Thomas on punt returner Jakeem Grant led to a bench-clearing brawl in Sunday's 19-7 Dolphins win over Cincinnati, which included several ejections.
Bengals-Dolphins brawl: Three ejected, Miami players defend Brian Flores' involvement and more to know
The Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals have engaged in a battle that had nothing to do with their play on the football field. A special teams penalty may have resulted in the fight of the year in the NFL, as three players were ejected in a brawl that led to Dolphins head coach Brian Flores wanting in on the action.
A Breakdown of the Cincinnati Bengals Players That Participated in the NFL's 'My Cause, My Cleats' Campaign - Sports Illustrated Cincinnati Bengals News, Analysis and More
For the fifth-straight season, players have shown their passions beyond the game by representing a cause of their choice through their footwear. They had the opportunity to design and wear their own customized cleats during Week 13 as part of My Cause My Cleats.
Bengals Report: Front office questioning Zac Taylor's offensive strategy
However, according to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, there are some within the front office beginning to scratch their heads as to the offensive gameplan that has been deployed. Specifically, members of Cincinnati’s decision-makers are wondering why their franchise signal-caller was asked to stand in harm’s way for so long rather than having the scheme altered to get the ball out faster.
Around the league
NFL Week 13: What we learned from Sunday's games
The Fighting Joe Judges bullied Seattle on the road, out-muscling the Seahawks and stifling Russell Wilson all afternoon, giving the G-Men a four-game winning streak and sole possession of first place in the NFC East. The Big Blue defense deserves the lion's share of the credit. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham dialed up a masterful plan, and the secondary blanketed Seahawks receivers all game, forcing Wilson to hold the ball and hold the ball and hold the ball and hold the ball and hold the ball. Leonard Williams feasted on the Seahawks beleaguered offensive line. Williams earned 2.5 sacks and a whopping five QB hits.
Carson Wentz insists he hasn't lost confidence: 'I'm not the type to worry... look over my shoulder '
"No. I'm not the type to worry about and look over my shoulder or any of those things," Wentz said after Sunday's loss, via Pro Football Talk. "I think at the end of the day, I can play better. We can, as a team, and as an offense especially, play better. There's always going to be different things going on in the building or different chatter and all of that stuff. That's part of this business. That's what I signed up for. The scrutiny, the challenges, the adversity, all of it. I've got to handle it all -- the good, bad and the ugly."
Jets, Raiders players question defensive call on Ruggs' game-winning TD
The all-out blitz not only left Ruggs with one-on-one coverage up the sideline, but far too few Jets were near the end zone to defend Carr's lofty throw. Ruggs used his speed to easily beat rookie cornerback Lamar Jackson downfield and was unbothered when tracking the deep ball.
Andy Reid on Tyreek Hill's non-TD catch: 'I've never had a receiver that didn't know he caught the ball'
With just under 11 minutes left in the second quarter of a 3-3 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, Patrick Mahomes lofted a pretty pass from just beyond the 50-yard-line, arching toward a streaking Hill in the end zone. The wideout prematurely jumped, and the ball ricocheted off his hands as he fell to the turf.
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