The Miami Dolphins' offense had few problems against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17. Riding on the legs of the team's run game and rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, Miami may have something to build upon.
Ewers looked good in his first start, but the team's third-quarter issues destroyed any chance of the Dolphins beating the Bengals. This week, Ewers looked far more comfortable as the Dolphins' starter.
If the Dolphins are hoping Ewers can become the team's starter next season, he showed enough in Week 17 to think he should at least be competing for that role.
Quinn Ewers leads Miami Dolphins to his first win as an NFL starter
Ewers threw two touchdowns in the first half, the first Dolphins rookie QB since Dan Marino in 1983, to do so. Miami's troubled third-quarter issues ended with the Dolphins' defense giving up only three points.
The Dolphins' young QB got a huge effort from his defense that kept Baker Mayfield from getting into a rhythm. Miami swarmed Mayfield the entire game. The Dolphins' defense forced Mayfield into two interceptions, with the last one coming midway through the 4th quarter, practically sealing the Dolphins' win. Bradley Chubb added a strip sack they recovered with under five minutes left in the game.
Miami has to be thrilled with the play of its team on both sides of the ball. With nothing to play for but pride and experience, Miami showed up in week 17, but next week against the Patriots will be the toughest test yet for Ewers.
Mike McDaniel called an incredibly conservative game in the second half. The team's struggles in the third quarter were evident as he took the ball out of his young QB's hands. His decisions were so apparent that they prompted several fans on social media to say he was simply trying to notch the victory to hopefully save his job.
That may be true, but at the same time, you can't fault the HC for wanting to avoid costly errors by a rookie quarterback. The Dolphins didn't need to run up a score; they needed to build confidence. On Sunday, they did.