Happy homecoming
Late TD leads Miami over Bengals; Doaks scores twice in return to Cincinnati
CINCINNATI — Miami Dolphins rookie running back Gerrid Doaks played his college football just more than three miles from Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium.
In the Dolphins’ preseason finale at the Bengals, Doaks, the University of Cincinnati alum, was one of the standouts, scoring two touchdowns as Miami won, 29-26, on a late 34-yard fourthdown touchdown pass from Reid Sinnett to tight end Chris Myarick.
Sinnett fired to the end zone near the pylon, and Myarick used his 6-foot-5 frame to go up and come down with it on a fourthand-15 from the Bengals’ 34-yard line. The Bengals drove into Dolphins’ territory in the final seconds, but second-year cornerback Noah Igbinoghene deflected a fourth-down pass to seal the exhibition victory.
Sinnett went 22 of 33 for 343 yards, two touchdowns and also was intercepted once. With the start to the regular season at New England two weeks away, Sinnett, the third-string quarterback, played the entire game while starter Tua Tagovailoa and backup Jacoby Brissett sat out.
Doaks, battling for a spot on the Dolphins’ active roster behind their top three backs, got the start and began the scoring on Sunday, plunging up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown on the Dolphins’ second drive. His later touchdown was from a yard out in the second quarter as he finished with 56 yards on 16 carries.
Sinnett orchestrated the opening scoring drive, converting three third downs. He had first-down passes to Kirk Merritt, rookie tight end Hunter Long and a pair to running back Patrick Laird in Cincinnati territory to set up the first Doaks score.
While Doaks had a fine outing, the Dolphins’ other seventhround draft pick, tackle Larnel Coleman, had a tough time. He gave up a third-down sack on Miami’s opening drive and appeared to be culpable for a later one in the second half.
Among standout defensive plays: Safety Jamal Perry nearly had a second-half interception that he dove for but couldn’t haul in; linebacker Sam Eguavoen tipped a ball out of a Bengals quarterback hands as he threw and rookie outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who started and saw early playing time, was in on a quarterback hurry that forced an incompletion.
The Bengals answered Miami’s opening score as backup quarterback Brandon Allen, who came in shortly after Joe Burrow started, hit running back Chris Evans for a 29-yard touchdown pass. Evans, lined up in the slot, beat linebacker Duke Riley’s man coverage and Perry was slow to get over on the fade route.
In the second quarter, Sinnett made a mistake as a pass that was wide of its intended target, Merritt, ended up tipped up by Merritt and into the hands of Bengals safety Trayvon Henderson for an interception.
At the end of the first half, former Florida Gators kicker and Bengals rookie Evan McPherson inched Cincinnati to within one, 14-13, as he converted on a 57-yard field goal, which had distance to spare.
The Bengals took a third-quarter lead after a pass by Kyle Shurmur went through the hands of receiver Stanley Morgan and got to Trent Taylor, allowing him to run 45 yards to the Dolphins’ 1-yard line.
It set up a rushing score for Jacques Patrick to put the Bengals ahead, 20-14.
The Dolphins were driving in the middle of the third in response, but Long dropped a pass where the third-round pick got open over the top of the defense on a corner route.
After another Cincinnati touchdown extended its lead to, 26-14, Merritt’s fourth-quarter touchdown saw him run right past the Bengals’ zone defense as Sinnett found him beautifully for the 44-yard strike.
In Cincinnati, the big story was that Burrow, second-year quarterback Joe, was starting in his first action since suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee last November.
He played one series where the lone notable play was a drop on a screen by rookie Ja’Marr Chase, who was drafted one spot ahead of Dolphins’ No. 6 pick Jaylen Waddle, that was initially ruled a fumble with a wild scramble for the ball behind the line of scrimmage.