Quinn Ewers Offers Miami More of the Same in Debut
There’s always a bit of excitement that comes with a new starting quarterback, especially if they are a rookie. As a fan, once the organization drafts a young signal caller, you begin looking over highlight tapes, trying to figure out what he’s going to be able to offer your team going forward.
Obviously, the hope with Quinn Ewers when the Dolphins drafted him out of Texas with a 7th-round pick was that he would develop into a decent backup. Someone who could learn behind Tua Tagovailoa, who would bounce back after a 2024 season that was lost mostly to injuries.
That wasn’t how things worked out. Unfortunately, Tua regressed in every way that mattered, having the worst season of his professional career, with 20 touchdowns to 15 interceptions and an 88.5 rating. In his 14 starts, Miami went 6-8, and it was clearly time for head coach Mike McDaniel to make a change to save his job. If McDaniel isn’t fighting for his job, he’s at least fighting for his reputation as a keen offensive mind, one capable of turning a 7th-round pick into a serviceable starter.
One game into the Quinn Ewers era, and it feels like he’s picking up right where Tua left off. Miami’s 45-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was ugly in a way that fans have become accustomed to this season. The first half wasn’t so bad; Miami played hard on defense, and Ewers did just enough to keep the game close at 17-14 in favor of Cincinnati.
The wheels came all the way off the cart in the third quarter, a refrain that has repeated continuously for the Dolphins. The Bengals scored 21 unanswered in the third, aided by Miami’s terrible ball security.
Tight End Greg Dulcich caught a pass on 3rd and 14, and looked to be heading for a first down before fumbling, which resulted in a Bengals touchdown.
Ewers would then throw his first pick of the day, though it was not entirely his fault as the ball bounced off receiver Theo Wease Jr. and into the arms of a Bengals defender. I’m sure Dolphins wide receiver Robert Prince was not happy with the performance of Wease on Sunday.
This would end in another Cincinnati score, putting them up 31-14. After stopping the Dolphins, the Bengals would add another touchdown before Ewers threw one up for grabs while targeting Jaylen Waddle. The fourth quarter began with the Bengals’ final touchdown of the day, before the Dolphins added a garbage-time touchdown run by Jaylen Wright.
When the final whistle blew, Ewers had delivered a debut to forget with a completion percentage of 66.7%, 260 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. There were moments where he looked comfortable, particularly in the first half, a few throws that made you feel like there is some potential there.
Though it’s clear that the Dolphins’ struggles go beyond Tua, their defense has been absolutely putrid in the second half of the past two games. Miami and Ewers have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have been on a backslide the past few weeks, and the Patriots, who will most likely be trying to clinch the division in the final week of the season. This provides Ewers and McDaniel two more opportunities to show owner Stephen Ross and the fans what they have.
Hopefully, they will be better showings than what we got on Sunday.
What were your thoughts on Quinn Ewers’ debut? Let me know in the comments.
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