Final - OT
Wake's sack leads Dolphins past Bengals in OT
Nov 1, 2013 - 6:12 AM Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Cameron Wake sacked Andy Dalton in the end zone for a safety with 6:38 left in overtime, giving the Miami Dolphins a wild and much-needed 22-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Sun Life Stadium.Wake's third sack of the night ended a four-game losing streak for Miami (4-4) that very nearly reached five after a pair of Giovani Bernard second-half rushing touchdowns and Mike Nugent's 54-yard field goal turned a 14-point deficit into a 20-17 Cincinnati lead with 1:24 remaining in regulation.
"Our backs were up against the wall for a couple weeks in a row and we kept getting pushed back and finally we got out of that hole a little bit tonight," said Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill. "It was a huge win for us."
The Dolphins' special teams came through down the stretch, though, with Caleb Sturgis drilling a game-tying 44-yard field goal with 11 seconds to go in the fourth quarter and Brandon Fields setting up Wake's final sack by pinning the Bengals deep in their own end with a 32-yard pooch punt.
Miami's defense aided the cause as well by intercepting Andy Dalton three times, one of which was returned 92 yards for a touchdown by Brent Grimes.
Dalton, named the AFC's Offensive Player of Month for October earlier in the day, finished with 338 yards on a 32-of-53 completion rate but failed to throw for a touchdown five days after putting up five in a 49-9 rout of the New York Jets.
The Dolphins, on the other hand, got a turnover-free performance from Tannehill and a 16-carry, 105-yard effort out of Lamar Miller. Tannehill had a 1-yard touchdown run while going an efficient 20-of-28 for 208 yards through the air.
Cincinnati (6-3) had a four-game win streak snapped despite a career-best 11 catches by A.J. Green totaling 128 yards.
"We turned the ball over and didn't make enough plays to win the game," said Dalton. "This is a tough one. We've been winning these games the last several weeks."
Miami appeared headed towards another defeat after Nugent split the uprights with room to spare on his long kick and Tannehill was sacked on the first play of the ensuing drive. The young quarterback hit on his next four attempts, however, including a 21-yard strike to Brian Hartline that put Sturgis in range for a game-tying chance. The rookie kicker, who had misfired on a 34- yard try earlier, calmly delivered to send the contest into extra time.
A 38-yard pass interference penalty on Terence Newman on Miami's opening play of their second possession of OT enabled the Dolphins to cross midfield, but Daniel Thomas was stuffed for a loss on a 3rd-and-1 run from the Bengals' 39 to bring on Fields, whose punt was downed at the Cincinnati eight.
Dalton threw a pair of in completions before Wake burst through the line on a stunt and took down the Bengals' signal-caller a half-yard deep in the end zone for an unusual ending to the Halloween night matchup.
"It's almost like a movie moment," said Wake of the play. "Right before the play, everybody?s looking in each other's eyes and saying 'listen, we need a play right here'."
Cincinnati was in a 17-3 hole midway through the third quarter when Grimes picked off Dalton's off-target pass after the Bengals had gotten down to the Miami 10 and raced untouched the other way. The AFC North leaders quickly rebounded, however, putting forth a 12-play, 80-yard sequence against a tired Dolphins' defense and pulling within seven points on Bernard's 3-yard run with 2:14 left in the period.
After forcing a swift three-and-out from Miami, the Bengals needed just four plays to draw even,
A 14-yard run from BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Jermaine Gresham's 16-yard catch quickly brought the ball to the Dolphins' 35. Bernard then took a pitch to the right, broke a tackle behind the line, reversed course and found daylight for a highlight-reel touchdown that forged a 17-17 deadlock just over two minutes into the fourth quarter.
"We really fought our butts back into the game in the second half," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. "We just weren't able to finish it out and reap the reward of it."
Neither offense accomplished much until after the two-minute warning, when Dalton found Mohamed Sanu for a 16-yard gain on 3rd-and-7 to set the stage for Nugent's 54-yard boot.
Cincinnati's offense also struggled for much of the game's early stages, generating only one sustained drive -- a 14-play, 63-yard march that featured a pair of catches by Green on 3rd-and-10 which moved the chains -- over the course of a frustrating first half. The Dolphins stiffened in the red zone, however, and the Bengals settled for Nugent's 31-yard field goal and a 3-0 edge early in the second quarter.
It was all Miami over the remainder of the period. The Dolphins went in front by churning out 93 yards on 11 plays, highlighted by a 40-yard catch-and-run by Mike Wallace deep into Cincinnati territory and capped by Tannehill's 1- yard sneak across the goal line 2:39 prior to the intermission.
Dmitri Patterson later outmuscled Green on a jump ball to give Miami back the ball at the Bengals' 39 with 28 seconds left in the half, and Wallace's 15- yard grab on the next play set up a Sturgis 36-yard field goal that sent the Dolphins into the break up 10-3.
The margin could have been greater if not for a pair of missed opportunities on Miami's part. Sturgis pulled a 34-yard try wide left in the opening quarter after Wake stripped Dalton at the Bengals' 25, while Cincinnati's Carlos Dunlap knocked the ball loose from Miller at the end of a 41-yard run to the opposing 11-yard line on Miami's subsequent series.
Cincinnati's mistakes, meanwhile, carried over into the second half. Marvin Jones had a 50-yard touchdown catch called back on a downfield holding penalty by Gresham on the initial drive of the third quarter, and the 15-play sequence eventually came up empty when Grimes produced his momentum-shifting interception.
Game Notes
Bernard had 79 yards on just nine carries before exiting with a rib injury late in the fourth quarter, while Bengals All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins did not return after hurting his right knee in the second quarter ... Guard Richie Incognito (neck), Patterson (undisclosed) and cornerback Nolan Carroll (concussion) all left the game for Miami ... Green eclipsed 100 receiving yards for a fourth straight game, tying Carl Pickens' club record set in 1994 ... Miami rushed for 142 yards in the first half, its highest total since 2002 ... Dolphins defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle served 11 seasons as the Bengals' defensive backs coach from 2001-11 before joining Miami's staff ... Miami improved to 6-0 all-time on Halloween, including a 22-14 road decision over the Bengals in 2010.
- Jonny Porkchild What a NIGHTMARE last night! I dreamt that the Dolphins actually WON that game against the Dalton Gang from Cincy! Hahahaha! Don't I wish!
Whew! Gotta break into my PIGGY bank... I definitely need more coffee in my SWILL! I need to return to REALITY! Wow! SNORT!
Bengals 20, Dolphins 22 Final - OTNov 1 4:36 PM - Jonny Porkchild HOCKEYMAN, it's all good. You can tease the ol' PORKER anytime you want, dude! PEACE from the OINKMEISTER, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Bengals 20, Dolphins 22 Final - OTNov 1 12:14 AM - FearlessHoneyBadger34 Haha! Never thought a game in OT would end with a safety.
Bengals 20, Dolphins 22 Final - OTNov 1 12:00 AM - Jonny Porkchild A SAFETY? Who woulda thunk it, HOCKEYMAN? The Dalton Gang almost gave the PIG a HEART ATTACK! Good game, man! SNORT!
Bengals 20, Dolphins 22 Final - OTOct 31 11:58 PM - Andy Dalton sacked in end zone by Cameron Wake.
Oct 31 11:57 PM - Jonny Porkchild So many twists and turns! Halloween NIGHT! OINK!
Bengals 20, Dolphins 20 OT - 6:48Oct 31 11:54 PM - 218
roots - Jonny Porkchild OVERTIME! My PIGHEART can't take any more! Halloween PIGSKIN is a real NIGHTMARE! OINK!
Bengals 20, Dolphins 20 End of Reg.Oct 31 11:35 PM - CINCINNATI: 20
MIAMI: 20
End of Regulation
Oct 31 11:33 PM - Jonny Porkchild YIKES! Wow! What an incredible game! Another excellent kick! SNORT!
Bengals 20, Dolphins 20 4th - 0:11Oct 31 11:30 PM - Jonny Porkchild Very SCARY game on Halloween! The PIGSKIN's taking some SCARY bounces! OINK!
Bengals 17, Dolphins 17 4th - 3:04Oct 31 11:13 PM - Jonny Porkchild HOCKSTER, this is what I get when I pick with the ol' TICKER! OINK!
Bengals 17, Dolphins 17 4th - 11:01Oct 31 10:54 PM - Jonny Porkchild @HOCK: The Bengals are beginning to bring the BACON. OINK!
Bengals 17, Dolphins 17 4th - 12:34Oct 31 10:52 PM - Jonny Porkchild @HOCK: The Bengals are beginning to bring the BACON. OINK!
Bengals 17, Dolphins 17 4th - 12:37Oct 31 10:51 PM - Jonny Porkchild The announcers claim the 'Fins are 7-0 all-time on Halloween Night, however... tonight will be a major test against Andy the UNDEAD QB! SNORT!
Bengals 10, Dolphins 17 End of 3rdOct 31 10:44 PM - CINCINNATI: 10
MIAMI: 17
End of 3rd
Oct 31 10:42 PM - Jonny Porkchild The announcers claim the 'Fins are 7-0 all-time on Halloween Night, however... tonight will be a major test against Andy the UNDEAD QB! SNORT!
Bengals 10, Dolphins 17 3rd - 0:21Oct 31 10:42 PM - Andy Dalton pass intercepted by Brent Grimes at the Miami 8 and returned for 92 yards.
Bengals 3, Dolphins 16 3rd - 7:37Oct 31 10:23 PM - CINCINNATI: 3
MIAMI: 10
Halftime
Oct 31 9:53 PM - blakelylaw Weird game, perfect fit for Halloween. Fins are getting the tricks.
Bengals 3, Dolphins 0 2nd - 10:19Oct 31 9:16 PM - CINCINNATI: 0
MIAMI: 0
End of 1st
Oct 31 9:00 PM - CINCINNATI: 0
MIAMI: 0
1st Quarter - 15:00
Oct 31 8:30 PM - Jonny Porkchild The PIG has no choice here but to pick his lifelong love, the Miami slumping Dolphins! Yes, I do this with my little PIGHEART - even though they're playing on Halloween Night, and anything could happen!
My understanding is that a RED-HAIRED, FRECKLED-FACED, UNDEAD QB will be there to KILL OFF any and all hope my poor little 'FINS have of a W!
OINK! OINK! OINK!
Bengals vs. DolphinsOct 31 11:00 AM
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