Joe Burrow's bounce-back game gives the Bengals momentum going into final 2 games of the season

Published Dec. 22, 2025 1:59 p.m. ET

Associated Press

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow responded to the worst statistical game of his NFL career with some history.

One week after a shutout loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Burrow had the second-best passer rating of his NFL career as the Bengals beat the Miami Dolphins, 45-21. Burrow reached some milestones along the way.

In his 75th game, Burrow reached 20,000 yards. He became the fifth-fastest player in NFL history to reach the milestone. The only quarterbacks to that number in fewer games were Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck and Dan Marino.

Burrow also became the third-fastest QB in league history to reach 150 touchdown passes, trailing only Marino and Mahomes.

“We just executed better at the end of the day,” said Burrow, who had a 146.5 passer rating on Sunday. “Tee (Higgins) set it off, set the tone for the day. Those two big plays early kind of set the tone for, number one, how the day was going and, number two, how they were going to play us. I think they had a plan, and then those two plays happened and they had to change their plan. That’s why Tee is who he is and why we value him so much, he just makes plays like that.”

Higgins reeled in a 35-yard catch followed by a touchdown catch in the first quarter, which was the beginning of the dominance on the day from the Bengals’ high-powered offense.

Just about every skill position player had his turn. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had another 100-yard game, running back Chase Brown had three touchdowns in the third quarter alone and Mike Gesicki made a contested touchdown catch against his former team. Blocking tight end Drew Sample made one of the biggest plays of the game, sneaking out of a block and making himself available on a third down check-down that resulted in a 27-yard gain that set up a go-ahead touchdown before halftime.

“I feel like we’ve shown this a million times over the years,” coach Zac Taylor said. “Unfortunately, this year we just haven’t been able to do it. But this is no surprise. I was walking off the field with Drew Sample and he said, ‘This is how I’m used to these games going, when we’ve got everybody on offense ready to roll.’ We’ve got another opportunity this week against Arizona to come back home and do it in front of our fans, and I expect our guys to respond the right way.”

When the Bengals were eliminated from the playoffs last week, after Burrow was picked off twice against the Ravens, Taylor faced questions about whether or not the Bengals were going to shut Burrow down for the season. Taylor decided to keep Burrow in the lineup, and a quarterback who has dealt with some frustration recently appreciated the decision.

Even though the 5-10 Bengals are eliminated from playoff contention, the game meant something to Burrow.

“I’m having fun playing football,” Burrow said. “Not playing football is not fun. Sitting in the locker room rehabbing all day, that’s not why you do it. This is why you do it right here.”

What’s working

Since Thanksgiving, no defense has forced more turnovers than the Bengals. On what was an explosive day for the Bengals’ offense, the defense made its biggest impact with takeaways. A forced fumble by safety Jordan Battle, a pick tipped from cornerback Josh Newton to linebacker Barrett Carter and a pick by Jalen Davis were key to shutting down the Dolphins’ offense in the second half.

What needs help

The Bengals’ pass rush. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson, defensive end Josh Ossai and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. are all dealing with injuries, which has forced backups into bigger roles. While defensive end Myles Murphy continued what’s been a strong season, the Bengals’ pass rush still was limited to four quarterback hits and no sacks on Sunday.

Stock up

Slot cornerback Jalen Davis. After spending the first half of the season on the practice squad, Davis stepped into the starting lineup in November following a season-ending injury to Cam Taylor-Britt. Davis, the longest-tenured player on the Bengals’ defense, has been consistently strong against the run during his time in the lineup. Then on Sunday he had his first career interception.

Stock down

WRs Andrei Iosivas and Mitch Tinsley. With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both in the lineup, the Bengals had their full complement of pass catchers. Iosivas and Tinsley combined for just one total catch and continued what’s been a quiet month for each of them.

Injuries

Cornerback DJ Turner battled the flu and was limited to 45% of the snaps in the game. Tight end Cam Grandy suffered a clavicle injury. Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. landed on the injured reserve list last Saturday.

Key numbers

2: Ja’Marr Chase is the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach 500 catches. He’s also the first player in league history with at least 500 catches and 50 receiving touchdowns in his first five seasons.

100: Chase Brown had his seventh game of 100-plus yards this season, which beats former Bengals receiver A.J. Green’s record from 2013.