NFL notes: Cincinnati defeats Miami 22-7
Bengals receiver A.J. Green followed his disappointing game with a dominating one – 173 yards and a touchdown – and the Cincinnati defense that was inspired by Vontaze Burfict’s return clamped down on the Miami Dolphins for a 22-7 victory Thursday night in Cincinnati.
The Bengals (3-1) rebounded from a 29-17 home loss to Denver on Sunday with a solid all-around game against a depleted team.
Green led the way, beating the Dolphins (1-3) on every type of route. He was upset with himself after he dropped a pivotal third-down pass and failed to make an impact against the Broncos.
During the first three quarters, Green had 166 yards on catches while Miami had 152 total yards. The Bengals’ season-long problem of stalling out near the goal line forced them to settle for Mike Nugent’s season-high five field goals.
The Dolphins were missing four starting offensive linemen, two linebackers, running back Arian Foster and tight end Jordan Cameron. They had one big play – Ryan Tannehill threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills – but couldn’t do anything else on offense.
The Bengals’ defense expected to get a lift from Burfict’s return. The volatile linebacker was suspended by the NFL for the first three games because of his illegal hits. He got a loud ovation when he ran onto the field during introductions wearing a baseball cap. Burfict knocked down a pass and had three tackles.
Mostly, it was Green’s show. He caught a 51-yard pass off Andy Dalton’s scramble in the first half, and had a 43-yard catch that set up another field goal in the third quarter for a 19-7 lead. He finished with 10 catches.
Gordon enters rehab
Suspended Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, whose talent has been little more than a tease for several years as he battled personal demons, said Thursday he’s entering rehab and putting his promising NFL career on hold.
Gordon was eligible to return from his latest four-game suspension next week and possibly play against New England on Oct. 9, when Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will return from his “Deflategate” ban.
However, the troubled Gordon’s future is again uncertain after he chose to seek professional help.
Gordon released a statement through the Browns, who have stood by him but may need to move on.
“After careful thought and deep consideration I’ve decided that I need to step away from pursuing my return to the Browns and my football career to enter an in-patient rehabilitation facility,” he said.
“This is the right decision for me and one that I hope will enable me to gain full control of my life and continue on a path to reach my full potential as a person.”
Quick kicks
A person familiar with the situation said the Houston Texans’ star defensive lineman J.J. Watt had back surgery Thursday and it is expected to miss the rest of the season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the surgery. Watt was placed on the injured reserve Wednesday with a back injury. … Dez Bryant appeared in the locker room Thursday and seemed to be in a good mood, which was more than the Dallas receiver could say for the first two days of the week. The 2014 All-Pro missed medical appointments and team meetings over two days away from the Cowboys this week, and coach Jason Garrett said he was trying to avoid news on his injured right knee that he thought would be bad but was better than expected. Garrett said Bryant missed an MRI on Monday and a team meeting Tuesday before finally getting the exam Wednesday. The MRI revealed a hairline fracture in a bone in his right knee, which means it’s possible Bryant won’t miss Sunday’s game at San Francisco.