Film guru asserts Quinn Ewers' 1st Dolphins start was better than box score

The Miami Dolphins can't be too displeased with how Quinn Ewers fared in his starting debut this past Sunday. Although the scoreboard was ugly in a 45-21 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals, Ewers fared rather well, orchestrating two first-half touchdown drives to give Miami a late second-quarter lead.

Ewers finished with 20 completions on 30 attempts for 260 yards, no TDs, and two interceptions. That's only good for a passer rating of 66.0, which of course won't get it done in the NFL on a weekly basis.

But perhaps the best quarterback film expert on all of YouTube and beyond is of the opinion that there was far more good than bad from Ewers' first significant action as a pro.

Quinn Ewers' starting debut for Dolphins was less ugly than the outcome vs. Bengals

The QB School's J.T. O'Sullivan (via Patreon, subscription required) broke down the all-22 on Ewers' first NFL start. Here were his main takeaways from the end of an incisive, illuminating breakdown that runs for nearly an hour:

"The box score is probably worse than the actual performance. [...] The one fumble to start the third quarter certainly is not his fault. I thought he was in some tough third downs. They had some weird penalties. The first interception — Dagger off the guy's face. I would say that's a good throw. [...] The second interception I would classify as not a great decision. Running backwards, throwing a back-shoulder Wheel. [...] I hesitate to make a declaration, but I definitely think there was enough positives that you would say like, 'Hey man, you could absolutely grow into being someone who could come in and help us win."

O'Sullivan places the blame for Ewers' first interception on undrafted rookie wideout Theo Wease Jr., who couldn't make a play on the ball. It was deflected up in the air and picked off by Bengals linebacker Barrett Carter.

As someone very familiar with the Bengals as the Stripe Hype site expert around these parts, I can confirm that if you're getting clamped in coverage by Cincinnati cornerback Josh Newton, you might be having a bad rep.

This speaks to the larger problem of the Dolphins' thin receiving corps. Without the injured Tyreek Hill, there aren't many dynamic playmakers outside of Jaylen Waddle. In fact, none of the other receivers are keeping defensive coordinators up at night, all due respect to Malik Washington and Co.

Sure, Ewers had some rookie moments, and chucked the ball up for grabs on his second INT when targeting Waddle on a downfield pass. That said, he did show multiple instances of throwing with anticipation, poise in the pocket, and proved he could be an efficient distributor capable of running McDaniel's complex offense.

When you consider that Ewers had such short notice about the massive QB change as the Dolphins pivoted off newly minted QB3 Tua Tagovailoa, that Week 16 outing versus the Bengals was even more impressive.

The big question is, can Ewers show enough in the next two games to merit a longer look as Miami's possible future at the most critical position on the field? At least from O'Sullivan's assessment, the film shows that Ewers deserves a more extended audition.