The Miami Dolphins dropped another game, and that's ok. The rest of 2025 is about evaluations. Quinn Ewers is getting his evaluations in as well.
The new Dolphins starting quarterback got an opportunity to show what he can and can't do. Miami's defense didn't help the team much, but their inability to consistently stop the Joe Burrow-led Bengals offense gave Ewers more opportunities to throw the ball.
Ewers didn't need to be the "now" quarterback; he needed to show he could be the "next" quarterback. On Sunday, he gave fans enough to believe there is a future for him on this team. He may not be the franchise guy yet, but there were plenty of positives.
Quinn Ewers' first game as the Miami Dolphins starter was marred by a horrible defense
If there is a positive to take from the game, it's that Ewers showed enough to see why the Dolphins were confident to give him the job for the rest of the year. Yes, he made mistakes, but those came after the game was getting out of control, forcing him to throw passes that he didn't try to make when the game was within reach.
The Dolphins' new starter looked poised in the pocket. He was able to move around consistently to avoid pressure and was able to make his reads without rushing his passes. He wasn't perfect all the time, but he was consistent enough to give fans a reason to see something the team can work with.
As the game got away from the Dolphins in the third quarter, the pressure started to mount on Ewers, but he wasn't helped by his receivers. Young receiver Theo Wease couldn't haul in a near-perfect pass, and it was intercepted.
Ewers spent the second half playing from behind. His first drive of the half ended with a fumble by tight end Greg Dulcich. The next drive ended with the attempt to Wease that was picked off. The Bengals, who had no problems handling Miami's defense, kept Ewers and the Dolphins offense far enough behind that they couldn't recover.
There was a lot to like about Ewers' debut. Statistically, he was solid and led the offense well, but as the case has been most of the year, the defense didn't help them when they needed them.
The loss guarantees Miami can't finish the season with a winning record for the second consecutive year. That should make fans considerably thrilled with the pregame news that Mike McDaniel will likely return for another season.