Tua Tagovailoa put up a game so putrid that Mike McDaniel had no choice but to bench his starting quarterback in favor of a guy who had yet to take a single NFL snap in a regular-season game.
Quinn Ewers changed that on Sunday when he replaced Tua late in a blowout loss to the Browns. It wasn't a glorious debut but it's one that could soon turn the tide in the quarterback room.
There's no way around it: Tua's stat line was ugly. He finished the game with just 12 completions on 23 attempts and an average of just 4.35 yards per throw. Adding to the insult, the Dolphins' starter threw three interceptions, took two sacks -- it honestly should have been more -- and finished the game with a breathtakingly awful 24.1 QBR.
On the other hand, Ewers managed to complete five of eight passes for 53 yards for an 81.8 QB rating. It's enough for fans to openly wonder if things couldn't possibly be worse than they are now and the ex-Longhorns quarterback deserves a shot.
Quinn Ewers provides a small spark late in Week 7 to give Dolphins fans something to hope for.
In an otherwise lost season, Ewers offers something to look forward to. It wasn't much in the overall scheme of things, but the promoted backup brought enough energy to the field that it was palpable despite the score.
Ewers found out on Sunday morning that he was leapfrogging Zach Wilson on the depth chart. The Dolphins said they believe Ewers' practices and grasp of the offense warranted the move. It's a good thing, as no one really wanted to see Zach Wilson enter the game.
Tagovailoa's final interception was enough for McDaniel, who just pointed toward the bench. Ewers was poised in a pocket that was under duress. He took a massive shot from a Browns defender who obliterated rookie Jonah Savaiinaea. The young guard was hit off the line and knocked two yards backward on first contact. Ewers took a shot when he launched a deep ball.
The reality is Ewers isn't going to lead this team to a winning season. No one will; that ship sailed and sank long ago. The offensive line is horrible, the receivers can't get open, and the running game is hit or miss each week. What Ewers does possess is mobility, something Tagovailoa doesn't.
The Dolphins need a spark, not to save their season, but to give their fan base something to hold on to. Something that says the future beyond this year might not be as horrible as it is right now.