The Miami Dolphins got absolutely crushed at home by the Cincinnati Bengals 45-21 in quarterback Quinn Ewers' starting debut, but it really wasn't all bad.
Ewers showed off lots of poise and accuracy in the first half, only to see everything go off the rails after the break. His elite counterpart, Joe Burrow, made sure the Bengals capitalized with touchdowns on three giveaways and a turnover on downs on a QB sneak, where Ewers slipped on the midfield logo.
All those qualifiers and admittedly lower moments from Ewers aside, though, one top Miami assistant on the offensive staff believes the rookie is an upgrade over benched starter Tua Tagovailoa in a big way.
Miami Dolphins pass game coordinator Bobby Slowik gives Quinn Ewers a glowing compliment on his arm talent
Bobby Slowik has seen his fair share of exceptional young quarterback talent in the NFL. Back in his Washington days with Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, the team had a Rookie of the Year in Robert Griffin III. More recently, Slowik was the play-caller for the Houston Texans in C.J. Stroud's first couple of seasons, which both resulted in playoff trips.
Although Ewers followed the trajectory of a future No. 2 overall pick like Griffin and Stroud when he was one of the most hyped high school recruits ever, it didn't pan out that way once he got to college.
By the end of his last year at Texas, many Longhorns fans were calling for Ewers to be benched for Arch Manning. Talk about a pressure cooker.
Speaking of pressure cookers, now that the highly-paid Tagovailoa is riding the pine, Ewers has two more games to prove he can be the future in Miami before the Dolphins seek out another option. Tough spot for a rookie seventh-round pick.
That's why Slowik's recent endorsement of Ewers' skill set — specifically how his margin for error is greater than Tua's — is so noteworthy.
Dolphins pass game coordinator Bobby Slowik said Ewers doesn't yet have Tua's anticipatory skills, but said even if Ewers gets the ball out later than Tua, it arrives at the same time. (If Train A leaves at 3:15 and Train B leaves at 3:25...)
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) December 23, 2025
To be fair to Ewers, he flashed on multiple anticipation throws versus Cincinnati. Whether it was throwing to a spot on in-breaking routes like Tua's bread and butter, or letting it rip outside the numbers, there's no denying Ewers has more juice in his arm, with the finesse to make every throw required at the NFL level.
It's a stretch to say Ewers showed enough to be the unquestioned starter in 2026. His sample size is too small. Yet the fact that he can still operate Miami's offense on time, despite still getting accustomed to the pro game, hints at how scary-good he could be once he gets acclimated with more No. 1 practice reps, more live game action, and more exotic defensive looks to go up against.