MIAMI -- Observed in the locker room after the Cincinnati Bengals' 22-20 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins:
Coach's call: Bengals kicker Mike Nugent said he wasn't disappointed with coach Marvin Lewis' decision to punt during the overtime period instead of going for a potential 57-yard game-winning field goal. Nugent had hit a 54-yarder with relative ease earlier in the game. "He's got to be thinking, 'If he misses the field goal, they get the ball at what? The [39]-yard line? ... As much as I wanted to be out there, at the end of the day, it's probably the right decision."
Newman's heady play: On the first play of their final drive of the overtime period, the Dolphins went long on a go-route that pitted receiver Mike Wallace versus Bengals corner Terence Newman. Wallace had Newman beaten, but the veteran defender dove at the last second, tripping Wallace to draw a pass-interference penalty. "We couldn't have the game end that way," Newman said. "I figured, as long as we get another chance to make some plays." The Bengals' defense held and kept Miami out of field-goal range.
Disappointment: As expected, there weren't many smiles in the Bengals' locker room. Several players, slow to change, conversed among themselves about how much the loss hurt. "It was a hell of a game," offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said. "It was a hard-fought game by both teams."