The Miami Dolphins lost 45-21 to the Cincinnati Bengals at home in a game they once led 14-10, before the Bengals reeled off 35 straight points. The biggest news heading into the game was Miami’s decision to go with rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers instead of Tua Tagovailoa.
Ewers had an up-and-down game as he went 20-for-30 while throwing for 260 yards and two interceptions. The game got out of hand as the Dolphins opened up the third quarter with three turnovers, the two interceptions and a fumble by tight end Greg Dulcich.
Silver Lining in Loss
The biggest positive for Miami coming out of the game is that their draft stock did not worsen.. With the team already out of playoff contention, a win would have caused Miami’s draft position to worsen. The Dolphins currently find themselves with the 11th overall selection in the upcoming NFL Draft, but with three teams tied at six wins, a win would have represented Miami’s draft position worsening. CBS Sports projected the Dolphins to select Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq with the 11th overall selection.
Additionally, the Dolphins gained ground on the Bengals in the draft order. Miami is now one win ahead of Cincinnati in the draft order, but with the team’s loss they now own the tiebreaker for draft purposes. The Dolphins also got closer to the Saints, who reached five wins on the season after beating the Jets; however, the Saints would select ahead of Miami if both teams finish with the same amount of wins as Miami beat New Orleans earlier this year.
Miami has not selected in the top 12 since the 2021 draft, where they selected wide receiver Jaylen Waddle with the sixth overall selection. The team held that draft pick as a result of trading the Texans’ 2021 first-round pick with San Francisco, who then selected quarterback Trey Lance.
Dolphins vs Bengals
The Dolphins struggled mightily in the second half against the Bengals as they were outscored by 21 points in the third quarter. With the game 45-14, the Bengals opted to take quarterback Joe Burrow out of the game. Turnovers and poor defensive play meant Miami drifted from their winning formula.
The Dolphins’ top performer of the day was De’Von Achane who finished with 81 rushing yards, highlighted by a 48-yard rushing touchdown. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle totaled 72 receiving yards, his highest total since Week 10 against the Bills. Defensively, Zach Sieler registered a sack for the third consecutive game as he’s up to 5.5 for the season. Sieler is now one shy from tying outside linebacker Bradley Chubb for the team lead.
Next up for Miami is a matchup against the Buccaneers. The Bucs lost 23-20 against Carolina, in a matchup for the NFC South division lead. The Dolphins have not faced off against Tampa Bay since the 2021 season, a game Miami lost 45-17 as quarterback Tom Brady threw for over 500 yards and five touchdowns. Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers will likely make his second career start at home against the 25th ranked defense in points per game allowed.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Dolphins Loss is Bad News, But There’s a Silver Lining appeared first on Heavy Sports.