You know those games where you sit down expecting a defensive struggle, grab a snack, and suddenly realize you’re watching an absolute fireworks show? That was the vibe the last time the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears hooked up. If you are looking up “Miami Dolphins vs Chicago Bears match player stats,” you are probably trying to make sense of one of the most entertaining regular-season games in recent memory.
It was a clash of styles that somehow morphed into a track meet. On one side, you had the Dolphins’ precision passing attack—fast, sleek, modern. On the other, the Bears unleashed a chaotic, beautiful running game led by their quarterback. The final score was 35-32 in favor of Miami, but the stats? The stats were bonkers.
Let’s dig into the numbers, but not just the boring stuff. Let’s talk about what actually happened on that field.
Justin Fields: The Day He Broke the Quarterback Mold
We have to start here. If you look at the box score for the Chicago Bears, your eyes immediately go to the rushing column.
Justin Fields didn’t just run; he glided. In that November 2022 game, Fields rushed for 178 yards. That is an NFL regular-season record for a quarterback in a single game. Think about that. He outran most running backs’ career-best days. He had a 61-yard touchdown run that made professional defenders look like they were running in quicksand.
Passing-wise? He was efficient enough. He threw for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. No interceptions. The “Miami Dolphins vs Chicago Bears match player stats” for Fields look like something out of a video game where you turned the cheat codes on. He was the entire offense. The Dolphins simply had no answer for his legs. Every time the pocket collapsed, he didn’t panic—he just took off, and 40 yards later, he was in the end zone.
Tua and the “Blur Brothers”: Speed Kills
While Fields was playing hero ball with his legs, Tua Tagovailoa was quietly dissecting the Bears’ secondary with surgical precision.
Tua’s stat line was a masterclass in efficiency: 21 of 30 passing for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns.
This is where the difference in philosophy shows up. The Bears were grinding out yards on the ground; Miami was taking chunks out of the air. Tyreek Hill, as usual, was the cheat code. He caught 7 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
There was this one play—maybe you remember it—where Hill just found a soft spot in the zone, caught a simple slant, and accelerated so fast the safety took a bad angle before he even realized it. That’s what the stats don’t show: the panic he induces. Jaylen Waddle added another 85 yards and a touchdown.
When you have two receivers combining for over 220 yards, your quarterback is going to have a good day. It wasn’t about complex schemes; it was about getting the ball to the fast guys and letting them run.
The Running Backs: Forgotten but Essential
With Fields running for 178 yards, it’s easy to forget the actual running backs played in this game. But they mattered.
For Miami, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. (who had just arrived via trade) provided a solid one-two punch. They combined for roughly 77 yards. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t the headline. But it was enough. They kept the Bears’ defense honest so they couldn’t just drop eight guys into coverage to stop Tyreek.
On the Chicago side, David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert were essentially relegated to supporting roles because their quarterback was doing all the heavy lifting. Montgomery had 36 yards. When your QB is the leading rusher by a margin of 140 yards, your running back room is basically on a paid vacation.
For a deeper look at how quarterback rushing yards are reshaping offensive stats across the league, NFL.com’s stat breakdown is a great resource to see the trends.
The Defense: A Tough Day at the Office
Let’s be real—nobody played good defense in this game. The stats reflect that.
The Miami Dolphins vs Chicago Bears match player stats on the defensive side are… painful. The Dolphins gave up 252 total rushing yards. That is a catastrophic number usually associated with a blowout loss. The fact that they won the game while allowing that much production on the ground is a miracle.
Bradley Chubb, who Miami had just acquired to bolster their pass rush, had a quiet introduction. He didn’t light up the stat sheet immediately. The Bears’ offensive line, despite their struggles that season, managed to push the Dolphins around.
However, the Dolphins did make the one stop that mattered. In the fourth quarter, when the Bears had a chance to drive for the win, the Miami defense finally tightened up. Sometimes the only stat that matters is “Points Allowed in the Last 2 Minutes.”
On the Bears’ side, their secondary was young and depleted. They allowed Tua to have a 135.7 passer rating. You can’t win consistently when the opposing QB is that comfortable.
Special Teams and Penalties: The Hidden Factors
Here’s a stat that won’t make the highlight reel but definitely influenced the outcome: Penalties.
The Bears were relatively disciplined, but there was a controversial non-call on a potential pass interference against Chase Claypool late in the game. Bears fans are probably still mad about it. If that flag gets thrown, the stats—and the result—might look very different.
Also, Jason Sanders, the Dolphins’ kicker, was perfect on extra points but missed a field goal. In a three-point game, that miss loomed large. It’s a reminder that player stats for kickers are binary: you’re either the hero or the goat.
If you’re into analyzing how officiating impacts game outcomes, Football Zebras does some fascinating breakdowns of penalty stats and referee tendencies.
What These Stats Mean for the Future
So, looking back, what do these numbers tell us?
- The Evolution of the QB: This game was a snapshot of where the NFL is going. One QB winning with elite speed (Fields), the other winning with elite processing and accuracy (Tua). Both put up massive stats in totally different ways.
- Miami’s Offensive Ceiling: When Tyreek and Waddle are healthy, 300 passing yards is the floor, not the ceiling.
- The Bears’ Identity Crisis: The stats showed the Bears had a potent run game but lacked a passing attack to balance it out.
The next time these two teams meet, the rosters will look different. Fields is gone (now in Pittsburgh), and Caleb Williams is the new hope in Chicago. But that 35-32 shootout remains the benchmark for just how wild things can get when these two historic franchises collide.
FAQs
Q: Did Justin Fields set a record in the Dolphins vs Bears game?
A: Yes! Justin Fields rushed for 178 yards, setting the NFL record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single regular-season game.
Q: Who had more receiving yards, Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle?
A: Tyreek Hill led the way with 143 receiving yards, while Jaylen Waddle contributed a very strong 85 yards.
Q: Did the Dolphins defense record any sacks?
A: The Dolphins’ pass rush struggled to bring Fields down due to his mobility, but they managed to generate pressure late in the game when it counted most.
Q: What was the final score of the 2022 matchup?
A: The Miami Dolphins defeated the Chicago Bears 35-32 in a high-scoring thriller at Soldier Field.
