Rookie QB Quinn Ewers set to make first career start when Dolphins host Bengals
Cincinnati (4-10) at Miami (6-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS.
BetMGM NFL odds: Bengals by 2 1/2.
Against the spread: Bengals 6-8; Dolphins 7-7.
Series record: Dolphins lead 17-8.
Last meeting: Bengals beat Dolphins 27-15 Sept. 29, 2022, in Cincinnati.
Last week: Bengals lost to Ravens 24-0; Dolphins lost to Steelers 28-15.
Bengals offense: overall (23), rush (31), pass (10), scoring (20).
Bengals defense: overall (32), rush (32), pass (28), scoring (32).
Dolphins offense: overall (25), rush (14), pass (26), scoring (23).
Dolphins defense: overall (19), rush (27), pass (13), scoring (16t).
Turnover differential: Bengals minus-5; Dolphins minus-2.
Bengals player to watch
WR Ja’Marr Chase. The five-year veteran is third in the league with 101 receptions and fourth in yards receiving (1,147). Five of his 11 games with at least 10 receptions have come this season, including 10 catches for 132 yards last week.
Dolphins player to watch
QB Quinn Ewers. The rookie will make his first career start on Sunday after the Dolphins benched embattled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa earlier this week. Ewers was 5 for 8 for 53 yards in his only action this season in a lopsided loss to the Browns in October. He was the 231st player selected in the draft last April after starting three seasons at Texas.
Key matchup
RB De’Von Achane vs. Bengals run defense. Achane is third in the NFL in yards rushing (1,186) and seven touchdowns, while the Bengals have allowed six 100-yard rushers this season. The 157.9 yards allowed per game is on pace for third-highest in franchise history, and the 5.34 average yards per carry allowed is on pace for fifth-highest in the league since the 1970 merger.
Key injuries
Dolphins: Miami held a walkthrough on Wednesday and LB Jordyn Brooks (foot/knee), DB Elijah Campbell (ankle/knee), S Minkah Fitzpatrick (calf) and CB Isaiah Johnson (knee) were estimated to not practice.
Bengals: DT Kris Jenkins (ankle) has been ruled out. … WR Tee Higgins remains in concussion protocol. … TE Noah Fant (ankle), DT B.J. Hill (ankle), WR Charlie Jones (ankle), and DE Joseph Ossai (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. … DE Shemar Stewart (knee) could come off injured reserve this week.
Series notes
The Dolphins have won two of the last three meetings. … Cincinnati hosted Miami in a Thursday night game when they last faced each other in Week 4 of the 2022 season. Tagovailoa suffered a head injury in that game after being slammed to the ground and briefly knocked unconscious. He was later stretchered off the field.
Stats and stuff
The Dolphins were eliminated from the playoffs for the second straight season after losing 28-15 at Pittsburgh on Monday night. That ensures that the Dolphins will continue to hold the NFL’s longest playoff win drought. Miami has not won a postseason game since 2000, despite making the playoffs in Mike McDaniel’s first two seasons. … Tagovailoa completed 22 of 28 passes for 253 yards, but threw for just 65 yards through three quarters. His performance on Monday coupled with his struggles this season led to Tagovailoa being demoted for the rookie Ewers. … Tagovailoa has thrown an NFL-high 15 interceptions this season, which is also a career high. … TE Darren Waller is tied for the fourth-most receiving touchdowns (six) among tight ends in the NFL this year despite playing in only seven games. … LB Jordyn Brooks leads the NFL with 155 tackles (88 solo) entering Week 16. … P Jake Bailey ranks sixth in the NFL with a 43.3 net punt average. That is currently the top single-season mark in franchise history. Cincinnati will have its first double-digit losing season since 2020. … Bengals coach Zac Taylor spent four seasons on the Dolphins’ coaching staff, serving as assistant QBs coach (2012), QBs coach (2013-15) and interim offensive coordinator (2015) … QB Joe Burrow was shut out for the first time in his six-year NFL career last week. He needs 40 yards to become the fifth player in league history with 20,000 yards passing in his first 75 games. … RB Chase Brown has at least 90 yards from scrimmage in seven of his past eight games. … TE Mike Gesicki was with the Dolphins from 2018-22 and had 231 receptions with 18 touchdowns. … LB Demetrius Knight is second among NFL rookies with 94 tackles. … DE Myles Murphy had two sacks last week. … S Jordan Battle has at least eight tackles in each of the past two games. … CB DJ Turner II leads the NFL with 17 passes defensed this season. It’s the most by a Bengals player since 2009, when CB Leon Hall had 24 and CB Johnathan Joseph 20. … P Ryan Rehkow has a league-leading 51.3-yard gross punting average.
Fantasy tip
Achane has nine games this season with 100-plus yards from scrimmage and figures to get a hefty workload to take some pressure off Ewers. Achane is tied for third in touchdown catches (four) and ranks fourth in receptions (61) and in yards receiving (450) among running backs.
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