MIAMI, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Joe Burrow praised Samaje Perine, calling the running back "Mr. Reliable" after the Cincinnati Bengals boosted his workload en route to a Week 5 win.
Perine, who remains the second-string running back on the Bengals depth chart, out-carried starter Chase Brown 14 to 13 in a 31-24 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla.
His 14 carries also were tied for the most he's ever received from the Bengals in a game in which he didn't start.
"He is just Mr. Reliable and he has been my entire time here, since he's been our team," Burrow said of Perine.
"You can count on him to fall forward and get us an extra two. You can count on him to win against a linebacker in coverage. He's such a a valuable piece for us and certainly doesn't get enough credit for it."
The Bengals, who had the fourth-worst rushing offense in the NFL last season, rank as the seventh-worst unit through Sunday's Week 5 slate. They were out-rushed in three of their first five games, but totaled a season-high 117 rushing yards against the Dolphins.
Brown remains the Bengals' rushing leader, with 246 this season, but logged just 3.5 yards per carry. Perine, who totaled 110 yards through five weeks, averaged 4.1 yards per tote during the same span.
On Sunday, Perine averaged 4.9 yards per carry en route to 68 rushing yards. Brown -- who totaled 39 yards off 13 carries -- averaged 3.0 yards per attempt.
Samaje Perine is the recipient of Joe Burrow's 2nd TD pass of the game
@CINvsMIA on FOX/FOX One Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/2UA9FlFNbP— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
Perine also experienced an uptick in overall involvement. Brown was in for at least 70% of the Bengals' offensive snaps through four weeks. This total dropped by nearly 20% from Week 4 (79%) to Week 5 (60%). Perine's 51% snap share was his highest total since becoming teammates with Brown in 2025.
Burrow praised Perine for his ability to run downhill. He also spoke about his skills in protection on third down and ability to block linebackers and defensive linemen. The Bengals' quarterback showed Perine's value as a pass catcher with a 6-yard touchdown toss in the second quarter Sunday.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he plans to take it "game-by-game" when asked if Sunday's offensive strategy was a blueprint for the rest of the season. He also said he still has "a lot of confidence" in Brown.
"We've got two great backs that you've got trust in," Taylor said. "That's the way it can go sometimes."
The Bengals' 31 rushing attempts against the Dolphins marked their most this season. They also opted to progressively increase Perine's workload in each of their last three games heading to their Week 6 bye.
Perine said he can more productive with more opportunities.
"I think I am effective whenever my number is called, whenever I need to be," Perine said. "As the game goes on, I feel like I do become a stronger runner, just because if a defense has been out there for a long time, I feel like I'm wearing on them a little bit because I'm a bigger back. They don't want to hit bigger backs that often. But I do what I can when my number is called."
Through five weeks, the Bengals logged 189 passing attempts against 114 rushing attempts. They averaged 39.2 passes against 20.8 runs per game through their first four contests -- their most lopsided ratio since selecting Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
They found balance Sunday, with 32 passes and 31 runs. Outside of Burrow's rookie season, the Bengals reached the AFC Championship Game each of the two times they logged at least 24.9 rushing attempts per game. They advanced to the Super Bowl the year they threw the least in Burrow's tenure, with 32.6 pass attempts and 25.6 rush attempts per game in 2021.
"You can see it, at the end of the day," Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase said Sunday when asked about Perine's performance. "It opens up a lot more of the offense when the run game is going. We are running straight up the middle and getting 7 to 8 yards a pop, so I think it opens the whole offense."
The Bengals (3-2) haven't had an above-average rushing offense since 2016, when they ranked 13th for the second consecutive season under former coach Marvin Lewis. They poste4dj just two Top -0 rushing offenses (2014 and 2009) since 2000.
They will take on the Baltimore Ravens (4-1) in an AFC North divisional matchup Oct. 25 in Baltimore.