Malik Willis and the Miami Dolphins suffered their fifth defeat of the NFL season, falling 31–24 to the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Despite a late fourth-quarter rally, the Dolphins’ stagnant aerial attack and costly late-game errors left them winless as the team heads into a much-needed bye week.
Malik Willis and the Fourth-Quarter Rally Fall Short
The Dolphins struggled through a dismal first half on offense, failing to establish any rhythm through the air. Willis managed just 108 passing yards, completing 15 of his 27 attempts while throwing two interceptions to Bengals safety Jordan Battle before halftime. Cincinnati’s pass rush also caught up to the Miami quarterback, dropping him three times.
Down by double digits early in the final frame, Willis sparked a brief comeback. He capped a crisp drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman Jr., followed by a successful two-point conversion that narrowed the deficit to 10 points. However, any hopes of a complete road upset vanished with under three minutes remaining in regulation. Willis collided with his own offensive guard, fumbled the ball, and handed possession back to the Bengals to seal the outcome.
While the passing game sputtered, Miami found success on the ground. Willis scrambled seven times for 73 yards—highlighted by a 39-yard burst—and added a rushing touchdown in the game’s dying seconds. Running back Ollie Gordon II also shouldered a heavy workload, churning out 88 yards on 18 carries and finding the end zone once.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals Offense Capitalize Early
Joe Burrow turned in a tidy, efficient performance for Cincinnati, completing 23 of 31 passes for 190 yards and four touchdowns. He effectively distributed the ball to his receivers, including Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who returned after sustaining injuries during the previous week’s matchup against the Jaguars.
With the victory, the Bengals improved their record to 4–1. Cincinnati now enters its bye week before returning to action on October 25 to face the Baltimore Ravens.
Standings and Schedule Implications for Miami
The loss drops the Dolphins to 0–5, leaving them as one of the league’s few remaining winless squads. Head coach Mike McDaniel and his roster will use the upcoming bye week to evaluate personnel and mend lingering issues on offense. Following the week off, the Dolphins will travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets in two weeks.
Packers Cruise Past Bears in NFC North Action
In another notable matchup, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 31–7. Jordan Love completed 25 of 31 passes for 367 yards—the highest single-game passing total by a Packers quarterback against the Bears at Lambeau Field. Christian Watson caught two long touchdown passes of 42 and 53 yards, finishing the day with six receptions for 143 yards. MarShawn Lloyd added two touchdowns in the victory. Matthew Golden set a career high with 123 receiving yards and tied a personal best with six catches. Before this win, Green Bay had dropped three of their previous four meetings against Chicago (3–2), including blowing a 21–3 halftime lead in a 31–27 playoff loss in Chicago last season.
With starting quarterback Caleb Williams missing his third game due to a hamstring injury, Tyson Bagent started in his place. Bagent completed 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards, while Case Keenum took over early in the fourth quarter and completed 10 of 15 passing attempts. Xavier McKinney intercepted two of Bagent’s passes, helping the Packers (3-2) force five total turnovers. The Bears entered the game coming off back-to-back victories against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, but they never posed a serious threat to their rivals.
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