The Bengals travel to Miami for a Week 16 matchup with the Dolphins on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. For Cincinnati, much remains unchanged. Quarterback Joe Burrow will be throwing to wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase as the marquee parts of a high-powered Bengals offense.
For the Dolphins, however, a new quarterback will get his shot. Rookie Quinn Ewers will make his NFL starting debut, becoming the ninth rookie in Dolphins history to start a game at quarterback.
"The team needs, and I'm looking for, conviction in quarterback play," Head Coach Mike McDaniel said. "Understanding that he is a rookie, I felt that he would play the position most convicted which impacts every player on the field. I needed more convicted play from the quarterback position, and I thought Quinn could deliver on that best."
That conviction was on display in Ewers's NFL debut. Ewers replaced Tagovailoa in Miami's Week 6 game at Cleveland, completing five of his eight passing attempts that day including a 40-yard strike to wide receiver Dee Eskridge.
"It felt good to get some playing time," Ewers said of his debut in Cleveland. "It won't be my first regular season snaps. It's a wonderful opportunity and I'm super thankful that the staff believes in me to go out there and give us an opportunity to go win an NFL football game. I know going back on it, telling my 10-year-old, 12-year-old self the opportunity that I have in front of me, he'd be pretty stoked."
Nothing supports a quarterback, especially a rookie making his debut, quite like a strong ground game. Miami's rushing attack ranks 14th in the NFL with 1,707 rushing yards this season, but only two teams (Baltimore and Buffalo) average more than Miami's 4.9 yards per carry.
Leading that charge is third-year star running back De'Von Achane. He became the second player in Dolphins history with at least nine games of 100 yards or more from scrimmage joining Ricky Williams, who did it twice in 2002 and 2003.
Achane is third in the NFL this season with 1,186 rushing yards and paces the pack with 5.8 yards per carry. He's done it behind a young, developing offensive line that gets better each week. Left tackle Patrick Paul, left guard Jonah Savaiinaea and center Aaron Brewer have started every game this year for the Dolphins. The average age of Miami's left side trio is just 24 years old.
They'll face a Bengals defense that ranks 32nd in points allowed (31.2), rush defense (157.9 yards per game) and total yards (403.7 yards per game).
Miami will face an offense that features Burrow and Chase.
In the three games since Burrow's return to the lineup, the Bengals are averaging 22 points per game. That average is anchored by a shutout last week at home vs. the Ravens. In the previous two games, the Bengals scored 34 against the Bills and 32 against those same Ravens.
Make sure to check out the Injury Report and the team's official social media accounts 90 minutes before kickoff to see who is active for the game.
Watch the game live on Sunday, December 21 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, and listen on the Dolphins Radio Network and view the Game Center for the latest coverage.
