The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-15 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday, to secure their second straight win after a 0-2 start in the 2022 NFL regular season.

The Dolphins not only suffered their first loss of the season, but also saw their starting quarterback (QB) Tua Tagovailoa hurt his head and neck before in the second quarter. He was sacked by Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou and hit the back of his head on the ground. Tagovailoa was carted off the game and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Fortunately, the Dolphins announced before halftime break that Tagovailoa was conscious and had movement in all his extremities at the hospital. He suffered a concussion in their last game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on September 25 but soon returned to the field.

"I could tell it wasn't the same guy that I was used to seeing. It was a scary moment. He was evaluated for a concussion. He's in the concussion protocol, but he's being discharged," Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said. "It's an emotional moment. It's not a part of the deal you sign up for. His teammates and myself were very concerned, but he got checked out and it's nothing more serious than a concussion."

Tagovailoa's injuries drew attention from the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), which asked to review the Dolphins' concussion protocols.

"Player health and safety is at the core of the union's mission. Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing," the union said in a statement after Thursday's game.

Teddy Bridgewater replaced Tagovailoa for the Dolphins during the rest of the game. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown, but the interception he threw in the fourth quarter cost his team this game. It was cut by Vonn Bell who returned 45 yards for the Bengals.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow was struggling as well. He was sacked 15 times before Thursday's game, the most in the league. In order to ease the pressure on him, the team tried to launch more offense on the ground and had Burrow throw more short and quick passes. However, their 30 rushes only produced 67 yards and no touchdown at all. Bengals top wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase connected only four times with Burrow for 81 yards under the solid defense of the Dolphins.

As the Dolphins top receiving option, Tyreek Hill completed 10 catches for 160 yards. Nonetheless, the rest of the team were unable to follow him. Kicker Jason Sanders even missed an extra point shot after running back Chase Edmond's touchdown. One of his field goal was blocked.

As both sides failed to score like they were used to, the two teams grew more conservative in making offensive calls. Instead of attempting touchdowns, they shot three field goals in over 10 minutes of the third and fourth quarter.

The Bengals' victory came from their bold decision to go for a touchdown at third down in front of the red zone at 1:52 in the final quarter. Burrow found tight end Hayden Hurst to score the game-winning touchdown, extending their lead from five (20-15) to 11 points (26-15).

"Joe was lights out," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. "You had to beat man coverage. We had the guys to do it and the protection to match it and the quarterback who, that's what he wants to see."