Dolphins vs Bucs Game Preview

The Dolphins welcome the Buccaneers to the south side of I-75 this week for an intrastate matchup. The Bucs are desperately trying to stop the bleeding that’s plagued them the entire second half of the season. They’ve dropped 6of their last 7 games, some of them in heartbreaking fashion, and they find themselves outside of the playoff picture with just 2 weeks to go. They currently trail the Panthers by 1 game, with their final matchup against Carolina coming in Week 18. That game could be huge- for the division- but first, the Bucs have some work to do. If they lose this week and the Panthers win, the Bucs are out of the playoffs and that final game becomes meaningless. Suffice it to say, the Bucs have a lot to play for this week. You can expect them to play with an extra edge (as if they needed another reason) after the strip-down from coach Todd Bowles a few weeks ago in front of the press.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are playing for an entirely different reason. Once again, it’s all about Quinn Ewers. Last week, he looked fantastic in the first half but made a few mistakes in the second half before the game got completely out of hand- thanks largely to the defense deciding not to try anymore after a few turnovers (which don't help, either). This week, he comes in with a full game under his belt and a full week of practice with first-team reps to better prepare him. A few (in my opinion, mistaken) big-website writers have already decided that he’s not the answer for Miami, but as someone who actually watched the entire game, I beg to differ.

I’m not saying he’s the sure-fire answer for the Dolphins, but what we saw last week showed some promise, even if his stat line didn’t. Yes, the third quarter wasn’t pretty, but you can’t expect a third-stringer to come in on four days’ notice and ball-out for an entire game. That’s just not realistic. Last week, Ewers showed comfort in the pocket and threw the ball very well throughout the first half, which got me so excited that I had to make a special in-game post for him (which I never do). Maybe I should have waited after all…

Either way, he showed enough to hang our hopes on, and he definitely showed enough to remain the starter for the rest of the season.

Oddly enough, the worst-ranked Bengals run defense was somehow able to stop De’Von Achane in his tracks- something no team has managed to figure out how to do all season- and that certainly factored into the offense sputtering.

The Bucs have a bottom-10 pass defense this season and a middle-of-the-pack overall defense. But if last week is any indication, you can never really predict how a defense will perform from week to week.

Like I said last week, the entire game should be about Quinn Ewers’ development and seeing whether the Dolphins have something in him. But after last week, a caveat needs to be added: the Dolphins have to stay somewhat in this game. If it turns into another blowout, not only do the Dolphins suffer—Ewers suffers. Garbage time is absolutely meaningless for a young QB who only has a few weeks to prove himself, and the Dolphins need to allow him to maximize his development in the short time he has. I’m not saying they have to win the game—that doesn’t even matter much at this point (it probably hurts them, actually, due to draft positioning). But they do have to keep it from becoming a blowout. Just hang around long enough to give the Bucs a reason to play hard, for fear of the Dolphins somehow pulling it out. That’s really all Ewers needs to be able to prove himself in fair ground.

I’m excited for this game once again. Not as much as last week, but that’s not because I’m less excited to see Ewers under center. On the contrary, I’m actually more excited to see him this week after what I saw last week. I’m less excited because I’m not convinced the Dolphins are going to put in the effort necessary- especially on defense- to beat Baker Mayfield and a Buccaneers team that’s desperate for a win.

My prediction: Bucs 34, Dolphins 17