Postgame Notes: Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins

HARD ROCK STADIUM

DEC. 6, 2020 | 1 PM

DOLPHINS MOVE TO 8- 4 FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2003

•With today’s win, the Dolphins are now 8-4 on the season for the first time since 2003.

•Miami is now 7-1 in its past eight games and 8-2 in its past 10 contests.

•Dating back to last season, the Dolphins are now 13-8 in their past 21 games.

•The Dolphins are now 24-14 at Hard Rock Stadium since the canopy was added in 2016.

•Miami improved its all-time record against Cincinnati to 18-7 (including playoffs).

MIAMI’S DEFENSE LIMITS BENGALS TO JUST 196 YARDS

•The Dolphins limited the Bengals to just 196 yards of offense today. It was the fewest yards allowed by a Dolphins defense since Oct. 8, 2017 when Tennessee gained just 188 yards.

•Cincinnati’s 40 rushing yards were the fewest allowed by the Dolphins in a game since Dec. 11, 2017, when they limited New England to just 25 rushing yards.

•Miami has surrendered just 10 points combined in their past two games (seven today and three last week at the N.Y. Jets). The last time the Dolphins allowed 10 points or less in two consecutive games combined was in 2002, when the team gave up seven to Baltimore on Nov. 17 and three to San Diego on Nov. 24.

•Miami’s defense was even more stingy in the second half, surrendering just 25 total yards. It’s the fewest yards allowed in a second half by the Dolphins since at least 2000 and tied for the third-fewest allowed by an NFL team this season.

•At the end of today’s 1 p.m. games, Miami’s scoring defense ranked second in the NFL (17.7 points allowed per game).

•The Dolphins had six sacks today, the team’s most in a game since Dec. 23, 2018 vs. Jacksonville.

oMiami’s 31 sacks this season are tied for seventh in the NFL at the end of today’s 1 p.m. games. It’s the team’s most through it’s first 12 games of a season since 2014 (33.0).

•LB KyleVan Noy had a career-high three sacks in today’s game. He’s the first Dolphin to record at least three sacks in a game since DE Cameron Wake had four on Oct. 18, 2015 at Tennessee.

•Miami posted two turnovers as CB Xavien Howard (see note below) and CB NikNeedham both recorded interceptions.

oAt the end of today’s 1 p.m. games, the Dolphins are second in the NFL with 21 takeaways this season.

oThe Dolphins have now forced a takeaway in 18 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL and the sixth-longest streak in team history. The last time the Dolphins had at least 18 straight games with a takeaway was during the 1997-98 seasons.

DOLPHINS OFFENSE GAINS OVER 400 YARDS

•Miami gained 406 yards of offense today, its first 400-yard output since the win at San Francisco in Week 5 and Miami’s fourth 400-yard output this season.

•The Dolphins totaled a season-high in second-half yardage with 263. The last time Miami had that many yards in the second half of a game was on Dec. 1, 2019 vs. Philadelphia when they had 264 total yards.

•T Austin Jackson (left tackle), G Solomon Kindley (right guard) and G/T Robert Hunt (right tackle) all started today. It’s the first time in team history the team has started three rookie offensive linemen in the same game.

•The Dolphins did not allow a sack today for the second time this season. Miami also did not allow a sack vs. the L.A. Chargers in Week 10. It’s the first time the Dolphins have not allowed a sack in multiple games in the same season since 2017.

oThe last time the Dolphins did not allow a sack in back-to-back home games was Nov. 6 and Nov. 13, 2005 vs. Atlanta and New England.

•RB Myles Gaskin totaled 141 yards from scrimmage – 90 rushing and 51 receiving – in his first game back since returning from injured reserve. His 141 yards from scrimmage are the most by a Dolphin since WR DeVante Parker had 159 on Dec. 1, 2019 vs. Philadelphia.

•The Dolphins totaled 23 first downs today, giving them 247 for the season. It’s the second-most first downs the Dolphins have posted through the first 12 games of the season since at least 2000. Miami had 263 first downs in the first 12 games of the 2014 season.

GESICKI TIES DOLPHINS TIGHT ENDS RECORD WITH NINE CATCHES

•TE Mike Gesicki had a career-high nine receptions today. He totaled 88 receiving yards and one touchdown.

•His nine receptions are tied for the most by a tight end in a single game in Dolphins history. TE Randy McMichael also had nine receptions on Dec. 26, 2004 vs. Cleveland.

•Geiscki has become one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL this season. His 537 receiving yards rank fourth among all tight ends in the league. His 13.8 yards per reception is third (min: 15 rec.) and his four receiving touchdowns are tied for ninth among his position-mates.

•By topping 500 yards on the season today, Gesicki becomes the fourth tight end in Dolphins history to have multiple 500-yard seasons, joining TE Charles Clay (twice), TE Keith Jackson (three times) and TE Randy McMichael (four times). Gesicki had a career-high 570 receiving yards in 2019.

•Gesicki has nine receiving touchdowns since Week 13 of the 2019 season, tied for third-most by NFL tight ends in that span.

•Dolphins tight ends have now scored a total of nine touchdowns this season, which is the most in a season by the position group since 2008, when they combined for 11 scores.

oTE Adam Shaheen has three touchdown receptions while TE Durham Smythe has two.

TAGOVAILOA SETS SEVERAL MARKS

•QB Tua Tagovailoa had the most productive game of his young NFL career today, totaling career highs in completions (26) and passing yards (296).

•Tagovailoa’s 26 completions ties the team’s rookie record, which was set by QB Ryan Tannehill on Sept. 30, 2012 at Arizona.

•Tagovailoa has not thrown an interception in his five starts. The five-game streak is tied for the longest in Dolphins history, regardless of experience. QB Jay Fiedler also went five straight starts without an interception during the 2000 season.

•Tagovailoa is just the third NFL quarterback in the Super Bowl era to not throw an interception in his first five career starts (min: 100 pass attempts), joining QB Dak Prescott (2016) and QB Kyle Allen (2018-19). Nobody has gone without an interception in their first six career starts.

HOWARD INTERCEPTS EIGHTH PASS OF THE SEASON

•CB Xavien Howard intercepted Bengals QB Brandon Allen in the first quarter, giving him a career-high with eight interceptions this season.

•Howard is the first Dolphins player since 1998 to intercept eight passes in a season. Both CB Terrell Buckley and CB Sam Madison had eight picks that year.

•The eight interceptions are tied for the second-most by a Dolphin in one season in team history. The team record is 10 by CBDick Westmoreland in 1967.

•Howard has now intercepted a pass in four consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak in Dolphins history. CB Dick Westmoreland has the team record with five straight games with an interception in 1967. This is Howard’s second four-game streak this year.

•It was Howard’s 20th career interception, which moves him into a tie for 13th place (S Brock Marion) in team history.

•Howard leads the NFL this season with eight interceptions (at the end of today’s 1 p.m. games) and has more interceptions than any NFL player since 2017:

NFL’S INTERCEPTION LEADERS (2020)

Rk Name Team Interceptions

Xavien Howard MIA 8
J.C Jackson NE 6
Kendall Fuller WAS 4
Darious Williams LAR 4
Minkah Fitzpatrick PIT 4
Carlton Davis TB 4
Justin Simmons DEN 4
Quandre Diggs SEA 4
Harrison Smith MIN 4

INTERCEPTION LEADERS (SINCE 2017)

Rk Name Team Interceptions

1.Xavien Howard MIA 20

2.Kevin Byard TEN 17

3.Marcus Peters KC/LAR/BAL 16

4.Harrison Smith MIN 15

5.J.C. Jackson NE 14

Tre’Davious White BUF 14

SANDERS MAKES FOUR MORE FIELD GOALS

•K Jason Sanders converted on all four of his field goal opportunities today – making kicks from 48, 25, 23 and 19 yards.

•Sanders has now made 28-of-29 field goals (96.6 pct.) this season, including 17 from 40+ yards and eight from 50+ yards. At the end of the 1 p.m. games, his 28 field goals and 96.6 field goal percentage were both second in the NFL.

oHis 17 makes from 40+ and eight makes from 50+ both lead the NFL.

•Sanders’ 28 field goals today is tied for seventh-most in Dolphins history.

•Sanders now has a career-high 111 points this season which is tied for 16th-most in a season in Dolphins history, despite four games still remaining.

•Sanders also topped the 300-point plateau for his career today. He finished the game 304 career points.

•He is the franchise’s all-time career leader in field goal percentage (min: 50 att.) with a 87.3 conversion percentage (69-of-79).

INJURIES REPORTED IN THE PRESS BOX

MIAMI DOLPHINS

•S Eric Rowe, first quarter – evaluated for a concussion – questionable (returned)

•LB Elandon Roberts, first quarter – chest – questionable (did not return)•G Ereck Flowers, second quarter – ankle – questionable (did not return)

CINCINNATI BENGALS

•CB Mackensie Alexander, second half – being evaluated for a concussion – questionable

•T Jonah Williams, second half – right knee – out

•QB Brandon Allen, second half – chest – out

CAPTAINS

MIAMI DOLPHINS