The Miami Dolphins ended their two-game skid as they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-17 in their final home game of the season. Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers led the way for the Dolphins as he threw the first two touchdowns of his career. Rookie wide receiver Theo Wease caught Ewers’ first touchdown pass, which also happened to be the first touchdown reception of his career.
After the game, the pair joked about who would keep the ball. Ewers said he told Wease, “’I’m going to keep this one. You can have the next one.’ We can share it. How about that? We’ll split it weekly.”
Miami’s win improved their record to 7-9, and avoided reaching double-digit losses for the first time under Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins will have to win the regular season finale in New England if they want to avoid their worst season since 2019.
Dolphins Get Good News
When a team is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, winning comes at a cost. Following the Dolphins’ win on Sunday, the team moved from the 10th overall draft selection to the 12th. Whether winning and building a culture through these games or improving draft stock is more important is a debate that will seemingly live on. Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson argued that knowing that rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers can play is more valuable than improving draft position.
Fortunately for the Dolphins, on Monday Night Football, they got some good news. With the Falcons 27-24 upset win over the Rams, the Dolphins went from 12th to 11th in the projected draft order. A loss by the Dolphins against the Patriots could result in Miami picking as low as No. 8 in the draft, however, that would require additional results around the league.
The Dolphins have not selected in the top ten since the 2021 NFL draft, when they selected Jaylen Waddle with the sixth overall selection. They originally held the third overall pick as a result of the Laremy Tunsil trade, but they traded down to 12th before climbing back up to sixth. Their own pick has not been in the top ten since 2020, when the team selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall selection. With Tagovailoa’s future up in the air, the team now finds themselves in a similar situation as 2020, but with less draft capital.
Dolphins vs Patriots
Miami’s last regular season matchup is not an easy one. The Patriots already clinched the AFC East, but they still have something to play for. New England will hope for a Denver loss as they still have an outside chance of the No. 1 seed in the AFC. A win would also give them the No. 2 seed, and guarantee home field advantage through the divisional round.
The two teams last faced each other in Week 2 of the season when the Dolphins lost 33-27. Miami nearly came out victorious in that matchup, as for a moment it seemed De’Von Achane had given the Dolphins the lead with a 44-yard touchdown, however replay showed he stepped out of bounds. The Dolphins were then unable to score and New England earned their first win under Mike Vrabel.
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