The Miami Dolphins dropped to 6-9 as they lost 45-21 to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dolphins started off hot as they took a 14-10 lead in the second quarter. Rookie seventh-round quarterback Quinn Ewers made his first NFL start. He started off strong, going 9-for-11 for 105 passing yards before struggling in the second half.
The Dolphins went into halftime facing a 17-14 deficit. After the loss, head coach Mike McDaniel is now 4–23 when facing a deficit at halftime. The third quarter is when things went awry for Miami as they allowed 21 straight points. After the Dolphins scored in the second quarter, the Bengals went on to score 35 consecutive points before removing a majority of their starters in the fourth quarter.
For the Dolphins, there was a silver lining in the loss as the team improved their draft position. Additionally, head coach Mike McDaniel noticed improvement in Ewers after the loss as he said “ownership and command has had an uptick,” referencing Ewers’ second week of practice as the Dolphins starter.
Dolphins Player Facing Punishment
GettyQuinton Bell
After the Dolphins were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention following their Monday Night Football loss against the Steelers, the team made the decision to move on from pass-rusher Matt Judon. This created an opportunity for some of the team’s younger players at the position, including Quinton Bell. Against the Bengals, Bell played a season-high 47 snaps.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins edge rusher, it wasn’t all positive news as his actions in the second quarter proved costly. With 1:33 left in the second quarter, Bell tried to bring down running back Samaje Perine. However, when doing so he held on to Perine’s facemask and saw a penalty enforced against him. The unnecessary roughness flag also resulted in a $6,806 fine for Bell.
He was the only Dolphins player to receive a fine in the NFL’s Week 16 gameday accountability. Last week, linebacker Jordyn Brooks faced two fines, one for unsportsmanlike conduct and the other for unnecessary roughness.
Dolphins vs Buccaneers
On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins will have their final home game of the season as they aim to put an end to their two-game skid. After the Dolphins won five out of six games, they have been outscored by 37 points over these past two weeks. These two games featured four straight touchdown drives and 35 consecutive points allowed. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are also in a stretch of poor football as they have lost six out of their last seven games. Unlike the Dolphins, this poor stretch of play has not eliminated them from playoff contention, as they are still alive in the race for the NFC South.
Quinn Ewers will make his second career NFL start as he hopes to improve on his debut performance. It will be the second game of Ewers’ audition to earn Miami’s starting quarterback role in the 2026 season. Former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is not expected to remain with the team next season despite his $54 million cap hit.
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