Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals players were involved in a mass brawl as the Dolphins moved to 8-3 with a 19-7 win over the Bengals in a feisty contest.
It was a game that excited very few and was certainly not easy on the eye.
Miami Defense Once Again Reliable
The Miami Dolphins defense had a great start, with a Xavien Howard interception on just the second Cincinnati Bengals possession. This is Howards’s eighth of the season, leading the NFL for the most interceptions this season.
Cincinnati got the first points of the game, with Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd getting a 72 yard touchdown after some poor coverage from Miami.
There appeared to be a mixup between defensive backs Brandon and Byron Jones. Bengals quarterback Brandon Allen threw a pass to the left towards Boyd.
Brandon Jones was blocking, which seemed to get in the way of Byron Jones, which allowed Boyd to take it all the way to the end zone.
Overall, Miami should be happy with their defensive showing, as they did not allow a single point from the Bengals after that touchdown. The Miami Dolphins also recorded six sacks on Allen, with Kyle Van Noy recording three.
Lynn Bowden Shows What He Can Do
Lynn Bowden was limited in involvement but had a good showing when he was called upon. His only reception of the game came during the subsequent drive after the Bengals touchdown.
In the shotgun formation, Miami went with the RPO play. Tua found Bowden for a 15 yard gain. Four plays later and Bowden would rush for a further 11 yards, moving to the left and getting the first down before being pushed out of bounds.
Myles Gaskin Returns With Big Yardage
Due to injury, Myles Gaskin has missed time for Miami, with his last game being the Rams win on 1st November. Gaskin returned in the Bengals win, rushing for his second highest yardage total this season from his second highest carry total.
There was an impressive run by Gaskin at the 9:20 mark. With his feet in the Miami Dolphins’ end zone, Tua threw the ball with and Gaskin managed to break a tackle and get the first down for a 16 yard gain.
Gaskin also caught for 37 yards, with Tua escaping to the left and finding the running back. Two plays later and Tua found Gesicki in the end zone, with the tight end catching the ball and getting both feet in the end zone.
Mike Gesicki’s Highlight Reel
Mike Gesicki had his joint most targets in a single game this season. He also caught for his third highest yards total of the season, catching for 88 yards from 11 targets and 9 receptions. He also got a touchdown in what was an excellent game from the tight end.
He certainly put on a highlight reel, especially his one handed catch. Tua’s pass was found by Gesicki, who amazingly caught the ball with just one hand, despite two Bengals players around him.
A Clever Play Put To Waste
During the aforementioned drive that led to a Jason Sanders field goal, Miami went for a play on fourth down similar to the one against the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
The Miami Dolphins snapped the ball to punter Matt Haack who ran for the touchdown. This was brought back for an illegal formation as offensive guard Robert Hunt was not an eligible receiver.
This would have been a brilliant touchdown for the Miami Dolphins.
The Brawl
There were a few moments before the brawl. Both Xavien Howard and Tyler Boyd were ejected for throwing punches. There was the unnecessary roughness just after the 4:00 mark in the third quarter.
Then we had the incident. On a kick return, Cincinnati’s Mike Thomas tackled Jakeem Grant, which signified the start of the mass melee. The Miami Dolphins’ DeVante Parker and Mack Hollins were both ejected for their involvements in the fight and head coach Brian Flores had to be held back.
Improvement In Second Half For Tua Tagovailoa
Tua had a mixed day, but there were significant differences between Tua’s first and second hals performances. Tagovailoa threw for 296 yards and one touchdown, with 185 of these coming in the second half. Whilst he only had one touchdown to show for his performance on Sunday, Tua can be happy with this.
It was not a convincing win for the Miami Dolphins but nevertheless it is still a victory. With a tough schedule to end to the season, this makes getting the win yesterday even more important.
For more like this, you can visit our game reviews section. Also, follow us on Facebook and Twitter for news, views, competitions, and much more.