The Miami Dolphins bounced back in a tremendous effort after an abysmal loss last week at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals. This week, the Dolphins handled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the way to a 20-17 victory.
The win will hurt Miami's draft position (which now sits at 12), but there were some good takeaways from Week 17 that Dolphins fans can feel optimistic about. That's because this game, courtesy of the Dolphins' rookies, showed the fan base hope for the long haul.
It didn't stop with the young players, though, as this was an all-around solid team performance from Miami. We'll take a look at the Dolphins' winners and losers in the team's final home game of the 2025 season, beginning with a repeat competitor to the winners' square.
Miami Dolphins' winners and losers in win vs. Buccaneers
Winners
Quinn Ewers
The reviews on Quinn Ewers' first NFL start were mixed last week, with a two-interception, zero-touchdown stat line clouding what was otherwise a decent performance from the seventh-round rookie. Sunday's performance against Tampa Bay, however, is much less debatable.
Ewers actually threw for fewer yards this week (172, compared to 260 last week), but the two scores and no picks turn into the youngster's favor this time around. He did all of his damage in the first half, throwing his first NFL touchdown pass to wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. for the undrafted rookie's first career TD reception. Ewers then added another score near the end of the first half, with tight end Greg Dulcich the recipient.
Ewers' first two starts have not been breakout performances, but he's done enough to keep Miami's offense competitive. He'll get one more chance next week against a very good New England Patriots defense to show he deserves to be in the starting conversation for 2026.
Rasul Douglas
The rookies flashed, but veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas was arguably Miami's best defender on the field against the Buccaneers. He hovered and made things difficult all afternoon for Bucs WR and future Hall of Famer, Mike Evans. Not too many NFL cornerbacks can stake a claim in that.
The Dolphins didn't sign Douglas until August, but they were targeting him from the start of free agency, and it's easy to see why. He's easily been one of Chris Grier's top signings ahead of his eventual departure as Miami's general manager, and fans could begin to wonder if it goes beyond this season.
The Dolphins will look to maintain youth as they enter a rebuild, and Douglas is an older veteran, but Miami could use him to help groom some of the younger guys in the secondary and stay productive in the process. Douglas may prefer to opt with a contender at the end of the day, or he could have outpriced himself out of Miami altogether, but a reunion could be in the mix if there is mutual interest from both sides.
Jason Marshall Jr.
One of those players whom Douglas could continue to help is a rookie who has only gotten better as the season's worn on, and that's Jason Marshall Jr. Marshall finished the game against the Bucs with eight tackles, two pass breakups, and snagged his first career interception after undercutting Tampa Bay receiver Jalen McMillan.
On the play prior, Marshall added one of his two tackles for loss on the day. Like his interception, it too was the first TFL of his career. Marshall's play, Wease's TD, defensive tackle Zeek Biggers' blocked field goal, and DT Kenneth Grant's continued improvement are positive signs that Miami's young rookies are already developing.
Bradley Chubb
The Dolphins are out of the playoff hunt, so it's time for Bradley Chubb to shine. And shine he did vs. Tampa Bay with incentives on the line.
Chubb's two-sack performance against the Bucs -- including his strip-sack on Baker Mayfield in the fourth quarter -- put him in position to earn an additional $900,000 in incentives. Chubb needed to get to eight sacks on the year to potentially earn the added income. The strip-sack on Mayfield put Chubb at 8.5 for the season, and it was clear in the moment that he knew of the potential reward, opting to do a "money dance" immediately after the sack.
This Bradley Chubb sack was worth $900,000 🔥🕺 pic.twitter.com/scBVSJhmkT
— SleeperDolphins (@SleeperMiami) December 28, 2025
Chubb has earned a lot of money as a member of the Dolphins. Unfortunately, injuries played a role, forcing him to miss all of the 2024 season, and Miami is still without a playoff victory for 25 years. The Dolphins were unsuccessful in trading him at the deadline, and now, fans can expect Chubb to be released after the season. Next week against New England will likely be his last game as a member of the Dolphins.
Losers
Miami in third quarters
We touched on throughout the week Miami's struggles in the third quarter this season, and while it was nowhere near the meltdown it was against Cincinnati, the Dolphins once again failed to get anything going coming out of the half.
The Dolphins ended the third with a positive drive that resulted in a field goal in the fourth quarter that would go on to be the difference in the outcome. However, Miami's first possession out of the second half resulted in -12 yards of offense. Tampa Bay then held the ball for over eight minutes on its next possession.
As I pointed out last week, Miami's inability to come out of halftime with proper adjustments and game plans is a reflection of the coaching staff. There has been a whirlwind of opinions on whether Mike McDaniel should keep his job as head coach past this season, but the Dolphins' weakness in this area should be at least one glaring indication that he shouldn't. We'll wait and see if the front office agrees.
Jack Jones
Jack Jones led Miami with 10 tackles, but this was another up-and-down performance from the veteran cornerback, with more downs than ups.
McMillan's career-high seven receptions led the way for Tampa Bay on the way to 114 receiving yards. Jones was the leading culprit on much of that production, and it wasn't any better when he lined up against any of the Buccaneers' other receivers. In the process, Jones also missed some key tackles and committed two penalties, including a blindside block on Marshall's INT.
Jones' up-and-down play has understandably resulted in mixed reviews of whether he should be re-signed or not in South Florida. On one hand, Jones will be a veteran player who can spot-start and be a cheaper option. On the other hand, he gets beaten frequently and lacks self-discipline.
Miami is a team that can ill afford to make many mistakes, and Jones' faults seem to stick out more than others. The Dolphins have pleasantly surprised in the secondary this year, even though a ton of work still needs to be done on the unit. If better or younger options are available, that may be the better route to go.