MIAMI GARDENS — Quarterback is the most important position in football — maybe in all of sports.
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If you want a picture of the difference between the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, look at the quarterback play in Sunday’s 31-24 Bengals win at Hard Rock Stadium.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati’s three-time Pro Bowl passer, threw four touchdown passes, going 23 of 32 without a turnover.
Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis, at one point deep in the first half Sunday, had more interceptions (two) than completions (one). He finished 15 of 27 for 137 yards, the two interceptions and a fumble lost. He had a fourth-quarter passing touchdown with Miami trailing by three scores and a sneak for a rushing touchdown with 45 seconds left.
Those two performances were the difference in a game where the Dolphins surpassed 200 yards rushing and relatively mirrored the Bengals in total yardage and time of possession.
Miami goes into its bye week winless at 0-5. Cincinnati improved to 3-2.
The Dolphins had 88 rushing yards and a touchdown from running back Ollie Gordon II, and Willis added 74 yards on the ground to his passing struggles.
With the Dolphins trailing, 21-7, they got down to the half-yard line for a first down with a chance to make it a one-possession game after Gordon was down just short of the goal line.
A series of blunders followed. First, Gordon lost a pair of yards trying to plunge through the left side for the score. On second-and-goal from the 3, Willis inexplicably took a sack as he rolled right and surveyed the end zone. On third down from the 10, Willis failed to see an open Malik Washington and instead forced a pass to covered tight end Greg Dulcich.
Miami settled for a field goal with that chance. And what followed was Burrow, who had hit three other targets for his first three touchdown passes Sunday, connecting with star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase for the highlight-reel play.
Burrow threw deep down the middle late in the third quarter for a 45-yard touchdown in which Chase, the All-Pro, came down with the football using only his right arm as he had Miami cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. draped all over him. Chase finished with six catches for 77 yards
Down, 28-10, Willis led a touchdown drive against softer coverage from the Bengals defense, that finished with a pass to the end zone to rookie wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. The ensuing two-point conversion to Dulcich cut the deficit to 28-18, but it was too little, too late for Miami.
Willis was lost a fumble later in the fourth that was forced and recovered by defensive tackle Jonathan Allen before on the possession prior to his rushing score.
The afternoon started with the Dolphins allowing a touchdown on the third play from scrimmage after another special teams blunder on the opening kickoff.
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Miami allowed Bengals returner Dohnte Meyers to return the kick 81 yards to the 10-yard line. Three plays later, former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki caught a pass in the back of the end zone against linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and celebrated by doing his comical rendition of the “Griddy” dance.
The Dolphins responded with an opening-drive touchdown of their own after Jaylen Wright set Miami up at its own 40-yard line with the ensuing kickoff return.
Running back Ollie Gordon II punched in a 1-yard touchdown to cap the Dolphins traveling 60 yards in 10 plays. They extended the drive on a third-and-10 with a run to Gordon as he rumbled for 22 yards down the right side while the Bengals were set to play the pass.
That opening offensive series for Miami was extended once more when, as the Dolphins were set to settle for a field goal, Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrance was called for roughing the snapper. The Dolphins accepted the penalty and kept the offense rolling.
Burrow threw another pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to send the Bengals in for halftime leading, 21-7.
First, early in the second quarter, he threw to running back Samaje Perine, who started going outside against Rodriguez and then broke in for the 6-yard touchdown. It capped a 13-play drive that took 7:36.
Willis followed by throwing his first of two interceptions to Bengals safety and St. Thomas Aquinas High alum Jordan Battle. Willis was hit by defensive end Boye Mafe as he threw, and the ball floated up in the air and into the hands of Battle.
Three offensive plays later, Willis was again intercepted by Battle, this time seeing wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. too late as he threw across his body while rolling right.
That interception then led to Burrow’s third touchdown pass, a 2-yard toss to backup tight end Tanner Hudson with 55 seconds left before halftime.
Between the two Willis interceptions, the Dolphins recovered a fumble that rookie cornerback Chris Johnson forced and edge rusher Chop Robinson recovered. Robinson then had it punched out, but defensive end Josh Uche secured possession for Miami. It came after the Dolphins thought they picked up a takeaway on a Willie Gay Jr. fumble recovery, but a Bengals challenge revealed that Gay had a foot out as he grabbed the football.
The Dolphins have their bye week and then face the New York Jets on the road the following week, Oct. 25.
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This story will be updated.