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Charles Clay mistake could have been a disaster for Dolphins

Charles Clay's decision to run out of bounds in the fourth quarter of Miami's win could have cost the Dolphins a win on Sunday.

Ryan Tannehill is setting NFL rookie records

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Dolphins injury report: Daniel Thomas, Nolan Carroll suffer head injuries

Miami Dolphins running backs Daniel Thomas and Nolan Carroll both suffered head injuries in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. How severe were these injuries?

Dolphins Vs. Bengals Game Recap: Miami overcomes Cincinnati 17-13

The Dolphins' defense ruled the day against the Bengals on Sunday in Cincinnati, sacking Andy Dalton three times and intercepting him twice en route to a 17-13 upset.

Down four with 1:39 left in the fourth quarter, Dalton's attempt at a comeback ended with one bad pass when he missed a throw well over the head of Andrew Hawkins and into the waiting arms of Miami safety Reshad Jones.

The Dolphins forced three turnovers against the Bengals on Sunday, none bigger than the final interception, but Miami's defense showed up time and again all day to help the Dolphins overcome an early deficit and steal a victory on the road.

The Bengals got on the board first when two early Dolphins turnovers lead to two field goals from Mike Nugent, but Cincinnati's struggles in the red zone left the door wide open for Miami to come back in the second quarter.

Dolphins rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who finished the day 17-for-26 passing for 223 yards, then spearheaded a nine-play, 63-yard drive that was punctuated with a 1-yard touchdown run from Daniel Thomas that gave the Dolphins a 7-6 lead.

Miami's defense continued to be the catalyst for the Dolphins in the second half when defensive end Randy Starks intercepted a Dalton pass on the Bengals' first drive, setting up a 13-yard touchdown run from Reggie Bush that made the score 14-6.

The Dolphins defense forced two three-and-outs on Cincinnati's next two drives, but the offense couldn't turn those drives into more than three points. Both possessions fizzed on the Bengals' side of the field, and Dan Carpenter missed a 53-yard field goal after making a 46-yarder.

Dalton and A.J. Green, who had both been held nearly silent by the Miami defense in the first half, responded when the Bengals needed them most when the two connected on a two-yard touchdown pass to make the score 17-13 early in the fourth quarter. Green finished the day with nine catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.

But Dalton's attempt at heroism could last only so long, throwing the costly pick with less than two minutes to lose any chance at a victory. Dalton completed 26-of-43 passes for 234 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

The only significant injury of the day was to Bengals running back Bernard Scott, who rushed for 40 yards on five carries in the first half, left the game with a knee injury and did not return to action.

The 3-2 Bengals go on the road to Cleveland next week while the 2-3 Dolphins will return home to face the Rams.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Dolphins vs. Bengals score: Dolphins strike again, stretch lead over Bengals to 17-6

After rallying to take the lead in the second quarter, the Miami Dolphins continued to turn the tables against the Bengals and stretched their lead to 17-6 in the third quarter in Cincy.

The Bengals' offense struggled in the first half, and the troubles continued on the first drive of the second half when Dolphins defensive tackle Randy Starks leapt and grabbed an Andy Dalton pass to give Miami the ball.

After a 28-yard completion from Ryan Tannehill to Davone Bess, Reggie Bush went off the left side and into the end zone for his first score of the day to make the lead 14-6.

The Bengals couldn't find any success on their next two possessions, and the Dolphins turned the two three-and-outs into three points. Dan Carptenter made a 46-yard field goal to made the score 17-6, but missed a 53-yard field goal on the Dolphins' next possession.

The Bengals ended the quarter in the Dolphins' red zone for the third time today.

Dolphins vs. Bengals score: Miami fights back, leads Cincinnati 7-6 at halftime

The Dolphins flipped the script on the Bengals in the second quarter in Cincinnati, scoring a touchdown and forcing a turnover of their own to grab a 7-6 lead at the half.

Running without a huddle for much of the second quarter, Ryan Tannehill authored a nine-play, 63-yard drive on the Dolphins' first possession before Daniel Thomas finally found pay dirt with a 1-yard touchdown run.

The Dolphins hit the Bengals with a balanced diet of runs and passes on the scoring drive, but the biggest play of the day was when Tannehill hit fullback Charles Clay down the middle for 24 yards on third and 10 to keep the drive alive.

Bengals receiver Armon Binns coughed the ball up on Cincinnati's next drive to give the Dolphins their first turnover of the day, but Tannehill and company couldn't capitalize on the mistake and turned the ball over on downs four plays later.

While neither team has been able to find much of a rhythm offensively, Tannehill has outdueled Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton so far, as the Dolphins rookie is 7-for-10 passing for 101 yards while the Bengals' starter is 11-for-18 for a meager 83 yards.

Dolphins vs. Bengals score: Cincinnati leads Miami, 6-0, after first quarter

Two Miami turnovers led to two Cincinnati field goals and a 6-0 Bengals lead in the first quarter in Cincy.

The Bengals didn't have any success finding the end zone after the two turnovers, though, and Mike Nugent has connected on a 42- and a 24-yard field goal to give the Bengals the early margin.

After stalling out on their first possession, a Bengals punt set up the first field goal when the ball caromed off a Dolphins blocker and into the arms of Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

The Dolphins offense marched 56 yards on eight plays to find their way into the red zone on their second drive of the day, but the scoring chance fizzled out when the Bengals nabbed their second turnover on a fumble from Miami rookie fullback Jorvorskie Lane.

Powered by running back Bernard Scott and a fourth-down conversion pass to Jermaine Gresham, the Bengals once again moved the ball into the red zone on the ensuing possession, but had to settle for a field goal before the half ended.

Dolphins vs. Bengals inactives: Richard Marshall, Jabar Gafney out for Miami

Neither the Cincinnati Bengals nor Miami Dolphins will be able to make excuses after their matchup on Sunday afternoon, as both teams are essentially at full strength. Between the two teams, the Miami Dolphins are the only one missing a starter, listing right cornerback Richard Marshall inactive.

However, the Bengals will be missing cornerbacks Jason Allen (quad) & Dre Kirkpatrick (knee) for Sunday's game. Neither player being inactive is a surprise, considering both were listed as doubtful to play.

In addition to Marshall, the team announced newly signed wide receiver Jabar Gaffney will be inactive. The Dolphins signed the veteran receiver earlier in the week.

The complete list of inactives for both teams can be found below:

Miami Dolphins:

• QB Pat Devlin
• WR Jabar Gaffney
• CB Richard Marshall
• OL Will Yeatman
• TE Michael Egnew
• WR Rishard Matthews

Cincinnati Bengals:

• CB Dre Kirkpatrick
• CB Jason Allen
• TE Richard Quinn
• WR Ryan Whalen
• S George Iloka
• WR Marvin Jones
• DT Brandon Thompson

Dolphins vs. Bengals 2012: Game preview, kickoff time, TV schedule and more

Miami goes for its second win of the season.