The Dolphins return to Hard Rock Stadium for the penultimate home game of the 2025 campaign. Miami is out of playoff contention, but the focus remains the same, and the Dolphins are attacking the work week with one goal in mind: to win the football game.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers, selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, will make his starting debut against the Bengals.
Ewers makes his starting debut
Head Coach Mike McDaniel – "Quinn has a natural disposition of confidence, not cockiness but confidence, and I think if you saw his face on draft day, he's a competitor that believes in himself. I think he was very excited for the opportunity but also very understanding of what that means."
Quarterback Quinn Ewers – "It's a dream come true for me. I've always wanted to have the opportunity to play in the NFL, and for that to be coming is truly a blessing and I'm thankful for the opportunity. I'm just happy. 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."
Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith – "I think that as he came into camp and we kind of watched his progression as he was getting used to things, he has a confidence to the way he plays. I can see why the guys at Texas really felt confident playing with him. He has a great touch delivery, he's really good with his fundamentals so we're excited to see him play this week."
Bengals scouting report
Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver on Bengals QB Joe Burrow – "The last thing you want to do against any of these guys with that skill set is be passive. You want to be balanced from a rush lane standpoint, and if you can funnel them in a particular way, particularly away from his throwing hand, then you're going to do that. You just want to make sure all four of your rushers, hopefully five if you can, tough with the skill set they have on the outside, but you want to make sure your crew are coordinated in what you're doing."
The focus is on Week 16
Outside Linebacker Bradley Chubb – "Still work to do, still goals to accomplish. I was telling people earlier, I didn't play at all last year and being able to be back on this field, I don't take nothing for granted no matter if we're playing for the Super Bowl or playing for nothing. We're playing for something, playing for each other, playing for these next three weeks and it's just about finishing it strong."
McDaniel – "Guys want to continue to play together on this team, however I think guys are motivated by this team and their role within it. My expectation is that we hit the ground running and prepare for this. These are invaluable opportunities that are finite NFL games. Our job is to go after it, and I think that's why there's clarity for them."
For more on Dolphins-Bengals, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
