All eyes on the Miami Dolphins' Week 16 meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals were expected to be on new starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. The rookie seventh-round pick replaced the struggling Tua Tagovailoa, and how he looked in his first start could have long-term implications.
While there is plenty to discuss when it comes to his performance, the real story of the 45-21 blowout loss was the disappointing showing by the Dolphins' defense. Since the start of the second half against the Steelers a week ago, the Miami defense has allowed 66 points.
Miami had allowed just 53 points total during their four-game win streak before Week 15, but these last two games have revealed that the quality of their opponents may have been the reason for the defensive turnaround.
Miami Dolphins' defense crumbled in the face of a good offense against Cincinnati
Things were looking just fine for most of the first half for Miami, as they held a 14-10 lead with just over two minutes left to go. From that point on, however, it was all downhill.
The Bengals scored 35 unanswered points, most of which came in the third quarter, as they completely dismantled the Dolphins' defense through the air and on the ground. Running back Chase Brown was the biggest beneficiary, scoring three touchdowns in the third quarter alone. Jordyn Brooks and the rest of the Dolphins linebackers had no answer for him in the passing game, as he caught two redzone scores from QB Joe Burrow.
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While the defense deserves plenty of blame for giving up so many points, the Dolphins' offense did them no favors. They turned the ball over four consecutive times to start the second half, including two interceptions from Ewers.
Still, you would think a defense that seemed to find its stride down the stretch of the season could offer some resistance against the Bengals, even with the turnovers making their job harder. Alas, nothing seemed to work against the juggernaut offense led by Burrow and company.
With the Dolphins already out of playoff contention, this loss ultimately doesn't mean anything significant, at least not for this season. However, a loss this thoroughly bad could have consequences that extend past this year.
Even with all reports suggesting head coach Mike McDaniel will return in 2026, a loss like this could give owner Stephen Ross something to think about. Is it really worth keeping McDaniel around if this is what it could look like next year? Maybe nothing else that happens this year will change his mind, but a good argument could be made that it should.