As the Bengals travel to South Beach for a Week 16 showdown with the Dolphins, the postseason might not be the primary focus, but the future of the franchise certainly is.
The biggest storyline heading into the weekend is Miami’s decision to bench Tua Tagovailoa and hand the reins to rookie Quinn Ewers for his first career NFL start. Although the Dolphins are eager to see what they have in their young signal-caller, the Bengals are equally desperate to evaluate their own youthful investment: the pass rush.
Because in totality, it's a game that'll serve as a high-stakes litmus test for Cincinnati’s defensive front, specifically for the young pass-rushers in Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy, who have underwhelmed in their time under head coach Zac Taylor.