The Cincinnati Bengals responded to a two-game losing streak by putting a beatdown on the Miami Dolphins in Week 5, 31-24.
An easy win for Joe Burrow and Co. moves the Bengals to 3-2 as they head for a bye week. The defense found it simple to capitalize on rough Dolphins mistakes, while the offense had a nice game plan and looped in some lesser-utilized names to big effect.
Here are some quick notes, stats to know and takeaways from the game.
Bengals vs. Dolphins notes
- Really smooth sailing day for Joe Burrow, who racked up four touchdown passes by the fourth quarter while having just six incompletions on 28 attempts.
- Zac Taylor called a fantastic game. Something as simple as getting Samaje Perine more involved as a runner made a big difference.
- Erick All Jr. had a handful of catches, but putting the ball on the ground at all is an issue.
- Pretty effortless day for Ja’Marr Chase dominance. It might have been even better if officials threw a flag on what probably should have been a touchdown.
- Jordan Battle responded to all the criticism nicely, grabbing two interceptions.
- Dexter Lawrence again warped the game around him with some big plays and lots of little stuff that made life easier on those around him.
- Boye Mafe’s constant pressure continues to make him look like one of the biggest steals of free agency outright.
- Don't forget the solid presence of Jonathan Allen, either. He was steady again and fell on the fumble late in the fourth quarter while protecting the lead.
- Another dramatic special teams mistake, even while winning by 10 points, should create some questions about Darrin Simmons and that unit. There have been far too many out-of-character mistakes for that phase of the team this year.
Key stat
9-of-13: Bengals' conversion rate on third down. Again, it speaks to how solid the game plan was from the coaches on the offensive side.
Top takeaway
Nice rebound: Big return to form for the Bengals, which they really needed going into the bye week. Credit where it’s due for beating up on a bad team, but important to not
overreact, too. The key now will be seeing whether coaches can properly digest the good and bad from the first month and come out of the bye even better.
What’s next?
The Bengals get a break on a bye in Week 6, then hit the road again in Week 7, taking on the Ravens in Baltimore.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Instant analysis after Bengals cruise past Dolphins into bye week
